Cervical Cancer Treatment in Israel

Cervical cancer treatment in Israel has one more benefit which is especially important for women planning to give birth. Here, a physician will never remove a young woman’s uterus if it’s possible to preserve it.

Precise Cervical Tumor Diagnosis In Top Ichilov

Day I: Initial consultation

You will be met and evaluated by Dr. I. Molchanov. This is required in order to compile your health history in Hebrew; without it, Israeli physicians won’t be able to continue diagnosis. The cost of health history compilation in Hebrew, referrals to diagnostic procedures, and medical consultations during your entire stay in Israel: $360.

If you had a biopsy at home, bring slides and all documents to Israel and hand them over to this doctor: experts from an Israeli laboratory will revise (check) the biopsy results. The cost of revision: $696.

Day II: Laboratory testing and diagnosis

You will undergo testing and imaging studies, including PET/CT. This procedure detects all metastases of the malignant tumor. PET/CT for cervical cancer costs $1,572, comprehensive blood tests (tumor markers, etc.) – $968.

Day III: Consultation on the diagnosis results and treatment planning.

You will consult with Doctor Irina Stefanski. She will develop your individual treatment plan. After that, you’ll meet your diagnostician again and receive the necessary recommendations. If you prefer to be treated at home, you’ll be able to return to your country on the same day.

The diagnosis lasts for 3-4 days. The cost of basic evaluation program: $3,525.

Comprehensive telemedicine package for cervical cancer treatment: $590.

✓ Right Now: Get your free consultation with a Top Ichilov physician

It is important to correctly determine the type of the disease before starting treatment in the country of residence. Consult an Israeli physician right now, free of charge. Find out the prices for the necessary diagnostic procedures in Top Ichilov.

What Are The Benefits Of Cervical Cancer Treatment In Israel?

The main benefits of cervical cancer treatment in Israel, in the Top Ichilov Clinic, include:

• Organ-preserving surgeries. If the cancer is not widespread, you will be offered a surgical procedure called conization. It is indicated for early-stage cervical adenocarcinomas. This procedure is painless and lasts only 15 minutes. During surgery, only a small cone-shaped fragment of the cervix is removed. In Israel, most cervical cancers are treated with the LEEP technique (coagulation). In more severe cases, trachelectomy is performed. This only involves removal of the cervix and nearby lymph nodes. The uterus is preserved. Most women who had undergone this type of surgery in Israel, became pregnant and gave birth. Even after removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) and subsequent radiation therapy, ovaries can be preserved so that the woman could choose surrogate motherhood. Doctors will take an egg from this patient and then fertilize the egg with her husband’s sperm. Her biological child will be carried by another woman.
• Minimally invasive surgery. In Israel, even in small provincial hospitals, doctors perform laparoscopic procedures through tiny punctures in the stomach. This procedure requires only a short hospital stay and causes less pain and scarring. The cost of laparoscopic hysterectomy for cervical cancer starts from $7,000.
• Fast recovery after surgery. In Israel, patients are encouraged to stand up and start walking as soon as possible. The patient has help with standing up; she has encouragement and support and is able to return to her daily activities very soon. Moreover, the risk of hospital-acquired infection is significantly lower. In Israel, there are no unreasonable prohibitions. After surgery, the woman usually enjoys the same activities she did before the disease.
• High qualification of the doctors. Doctors’ qualification is another benefit of the Israeli medicine. Residents are heavily loaded with work and take part in hundreds of operations throughout the year. So when they start their own practice, they are topnotch specialists. In addition, Israeli doctors serve an apprenticeship in various clinics of the world and thus accumulate unique experience.

Physicians Specializing In Cervical Cancer Treatment In Top Ichilov

In Top Ichilov, patients with suspected cervical cancer consult with leading Israeli gynecologic oncologists:

Professor Dan Grisaru – Head of Gynecologic Oncology Department. Professional experience: over 35 years. In 2019 was included in the list of the best Israeli physicians according to Forbes. Specializes in early diagnosis and treatment of cancers affecting female reproductive organs.

Doctor Irina Stefanski – medical oncologist with 27 years of professional experience. Treats breast cancer, malignant tumors in digestive tract and female reproductive system in accordance with personalized protocols (including targeted therapy).

Methods Of Cervical Cancer Treatment In Israel

In Israel, cervical cancer is mainly treated with the following methods:

1. surgery;
2. combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoradiation therapy).

If the cancer has spread beyond the uterus, targeted therapy may be recommended.

Surgery

• Conization and trachelectomy. If the woman is in her reproductive years and the size of the tumor is less than 2 centimeters, Israeli physicians perform organ-preserving surgical procedures without removal of the uterus. Such surgical procedures include:

• conization – removal of part of the cervix containing the tumor;
• trachelectomy – removal of the cervix with preservation of the uterus.
• Hysterectomy. During surgery, the doctor removes the uterus and – sometimes – other organs affected by cervical cancer (ovaries, fallopian tubes and some pelvic lymph nodes). In most cases, Israeli surgeons perform this procedure laparoscopically (“keyhole surgery”). The laparoscopic procedure does not require large incisions and is done through 3-4 small punctures.
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy. Cervical cancer treatment sometimes also involves pelvic or abdominal lymph node dissection. Initially, the doctor removes the so-called sentinel lymph node which is the first most likely lymph node to be affected by cancer spread. This lymph node is detected with the help of special radioactive dye. If the sentinel node is clean, there is no need to remove other lymph nodes. Preservation of lymph nodes prevents such complications as swelling and lymphedema.

Chemoradiation Therapy

This treatment method reduces the risk of cancer recurrence. Chemotherapy agents make cancer cells more susceptible to radiation. Low-dose chemotherapy is usually administered once a week several hours prior to irradiation.

In Israel, radiotherapy in women younger than 45 years of age excludes the area of the ovaries. This preserves their function.

Chemotherapy

This treatment is indicated for advanced cervical cancer. If chemotherapy without radiation is recommended, the treatment course consists of up to 6 cycles. The drugs are administered intravenously every 3-4 weeks for several months.

Targeted Therapy

This method is used for recurrent cervical cancer or in cases where the cancer cannot be treated with surgery or radiation. The malignant tumor forms its own blood vessels which ensure its growth. Some targeted therapy drugs (angiogenesis inhibitors) stop the formation of these blood vessels. These drugs include bevacizumab (Avastin) which is used to treat advanced uterine cancer.

Innovations In Cervical Cancer Treatment In Israel: HDR-BRAVOS Brachytherapy

For the past 5 years, local radiation therapy – brachytherapy – has been one of the main components of cervical cancer treatment in Israel. Brachytherapy ensures the delivery of high-dose radiation straight to the target without damaging other organs. In Top Ichilov, this treatment is based on the use of the state-of-the-art HDR-BRAVOS machine which allows for more precise and safer irradiation.

What Is Brachytherapy?

If conventional radiation therapy means external beam irradiation with the help of a machine located outside the body, brachytherapy involves irradiation inside the body or tumor. The source of radiation is implanted into an organ, tumor or cavity where the tumor is. For cervical cancer, a special applicator with the radioactive substance is placed into the vagina, cervix or uterine cavity.

Israeli physicians and medical physicists calculate the dose and distance of irradiation in advance in order to ensure effective and safe treatment.

During brachytherapy for cervical cancer in Top Ichilov doctors use the radioactive metal iridium. The substance is placed into a special container and renewed every 4 months.

In What Cases Doctors Recommend Brachytherapy For Cervical Cancer

Brachytherapy is mostly combined with conventional external beam radiation therapy: distant beam irradiation is followed by inner radiotherapy. During brachytherapy, radiation does not spread into healthy tissues so this method is safe regarding both side effects and damage to surrounding structures. Organs close to the cervix receive less radiation in comparison with conventional radiotherapy.

Sometimes brachytherapy is used in addition to surgery. After surgical removal of the uterus and tumor Israeli specialists use intravaginal brachytherapy to ensure local control of the disease and prevent recurrence.

What To Expect From The Procedure

Since introduction of applicators may cause pain or discomfort, brachytherapy is performed under anesthesia. The procedure consists of several steps:

Step 1. Preparation. The patient is admitted into the department. Spinal anesthesia is performed.

Step 2. Irradiation. When the woman feels no touch or pain, the doctor places special metal wires into the vagina. These are slender metal tubes for administering the radioactive substance. One end of the tube is inserted into the tumor, and the other is located outside the body. The second end is connected with catheters or additional wires to the device containing the radioactive substance. The substance enters the tumor and remains there for a limited period of time. This time span ensures the necessary dosage of radiation inside the tumor and allows for subsequent substance extrication. Thus, the radioactive substance does not remain in the patient’s body after the procedure: it fulfills its function, irradiates the tumor and returns into the container where it came from.

During the procedure the patient stays alone in the room, but the doctors watch her and talk to her via telecommunication.

Step 3. End of procedure. After the procedure, the doctor removes the wires, and the patient leaves the clinic and returns home.

Preparation for brachytherapy (anesthesia and introduction of wires) takes about 30 minutes. The procedure itself lasts for 15 minutes.

What Complications May Arise After Brachytherapy?

It should be noted that after any irradiation of the female reproductive system women lose their fertility. This is also true for brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

Any invasive procedure performed inside the patient’s body may cause complications. To avoid this, Israeli physicians plan brachytherapy very carefully. All actions are image-guided (image-guided radiotherapy). This approach prevents numerous side effects, including irradiation of the spine, bladder, colon, and surrounding tissues. This is why brachytherapy for cervical cancer in Israel is entirely safe.

How To Get Treatment For A Gynecologic Disease In Top Ichilov

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