Final answer:
For stage IIa cervical cancer, the usual treatment often involves a combination of surgery (hysterectomy), radiation therapy, and chemotherapy to remove the tumor and any remaining cancer cells. Palliative care is typically for non-curative cases.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a patient is staged with cervical cancer of IIa or better, the usual treatment can include a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy. Specifically for stage IIa cervical cancer, the treatment frequently involves a hysterectomy, where the uterus is surgically removed, often in conjunction with radiation and/or chemotherapy to ensure that any microscopic cancer cells that might remain after surgery are also destroyed. Palliative care is generally reserved for cases where cancer is advanced and cure is not possible; its main aim is to alleviate symptoms rather than to cure the disease. Therefore, the most likely answer to the question would be option C) Hysterectomy, as it is a common curative treatment for early-stage cancer where the tumor is localized and potentially resectable.