New drug regimen funded by Cancer Care UK extends survival for cervical cancer patients

All had locally advanced cervical cancer, though none had tumors that had spread to other organs. The control group received only chemoradiotherapy, a standard treatment with radiation and the drug cisplatin. The experimental group received six weeks of treatment with carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy before beginning chemoradiotherapy.

 This new research shows that adding six weeks of chemotherapy to standard treatment cuts the risk of death by 40 percent.

The researchers found that 80% of those who got a short course of chemotherapy first lived at least five more years, and 72% did not have any cancer return or spread. In the control group, 72% survived at least five years, and 64% had no cancer return or spread.The control group received only chemoradiotherapy, a standard treatment with radiation and the drug cisplatin. The experimental group received six weeks of treatment with carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy before beginning chemoradiotherapy.

“This is the biggest improvement in outcome in this disease in over 20 years,” lead investigator Dr. Mary McCormack, from University College London’s Cancer Institute, said in a news release from Cancer Research UK, which funded the trial. “I’m incredibly proud of all the patients who participated in the trial; their contribution has allowed us to gather the evidence needed to improve treatment of cervical cancer patients everywhere."

In the trial, most patients experienced some kind of adverse event, including fatigue or weakness, gastrointestinal problems, infections or low white blood cell counts. Severe or life-threatening events happened in 59% of the group that got the initial chemotherapy, compared with 48% of those who got chemoradiotherapy alone. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is currently the most commonly used method of treating cervical cancer, improving survival rates by 30% to 50%. While tumor removal surgery is an option, some experts prefer chemotherapy.

Citation:Articles; Volume 404, Issue 10462p1525-1535October 19, 2024.The Lancet. "Induction chemotherapy followed by standard chemoradiotherapy versus standard chemoradiotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (GCIG INTERLACE): an international, multicentre, randomised phase III trial"  .Mary McCormack, PhD , Gemma Eminowicz, MD, ∙ Dolores Gallardo, MD, ∙ Patricia Diez, MSc ,∙ Laura Farrelly, MSc, ∙ Christopher Kent, FRCR,∙ et al.