Doctors have hailed a “remarkable” new treatment for cervical cancer, which reduces the risk of death by 40% and represents the biggest advance against the disease in 25 years.
According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, with approximately 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths each year. Around 3,200 people become infected and 800 die each year in the UK.
Most affected people are in their 30s, and despite improved treatments, the cancer returns in as many as 30% of cases.
The new treatment regimen was tested on patients from the UK, Mexico, India, Italy and Brazil over a period of 10 years. This involves a short course of chemotherapy before the patient undergoes chemoradiotherapy, which is a standard treatment for cervical cancer that combines chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
A study led by University College London reported that the risk of death from the disease was reduced by at least 40% and the risk of cancer recurrence was reduced by 35% in phase 3 clinical trials. 5 years. Their findings were published in The Lancet.
Dr Mary McCormack, lead investigator on the UCL trial, told the Guardian the discovery was the most important advance in cervical cancer treatment since the end of the last century. “This is the largest survival improvement since chemoradiotherapy was introduced in 1999,” she says.
“Any improvement in survival for cancer patients is important, especially if the treatment is well-tolerated, delivered relatively quickly, and women can return to normal life relatively quickly. ”
Researchers from UCL and University College London Hospital (UCLH) have completed long-term follow-up of patients who received a short course of chemotherapy before chemoradiotherapy.
The interlaced trial, funded by Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Center, aims to treat patients with locally advanced disease who have not spread to other organs by administering a short course of induction chemotherapy before chemoradiotherapy. It was investigated whether it could reduce recurrence and death in cervical cancer patients.
The trial involved 500 women who were randomly assigned to receive either a new treatment plan or standard chemoradiotherapy. None of the patient’s tumors had spread to other organs.
In this study, one group was given a new regimen of six weeks of carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy. This was followed by standard radiation therapy and weekly cisplatin, as well as brachytherapy chemotherapy, known as chemoradiotherapy. The control group received only conventional chemoradiotherapy.
After five years, 80% of patients who initially received short-term chemotherapy were alive, and 72% had no cancer recurrence or metastasis. In the standard treatment group, 72% survived and 64% had no cancer recurrence or metastasis.
Our morning email breaks down the day’s big stories so you know what’s happening and why it matters.
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may include information about charities, online advertising, and content sponsored by external parties. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and are subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
After newsletter promotion
Separately, UCL announced that the trial found a 40% reduction in the risk of death and a 35% reduction in the risk of cancer recurrence when comparing the two groups using different indicators. .
Abbie Halls, a customer service manager from London, is one of the women who was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the age of 27 and underwent a new treatment. “I have been battling cancer for over nine years and I don’t know if I would be here today if I hadn’t received treatment,” the 37-year-old said. “I’m glad to be able to help advance research and hope that even more women’s lives will be saved in the years to come.”
The results prompted calls for the system to be introduced across the UK and internationally. Dr. McCormack said, “A short course of induction chemotherapy before standard chemoradiotherapy significantly increases overall survival and reduces the risk of recurrence for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.” said.
“This approach is a simple way to achieve positive effects by using existing drugs that are inexpensive and already approved for use in patients. It is already being adopted by some cancer centers. , there is no reason not to offer this to all patients receiving chemoradiotherapy for this cancer.”
Dr Iain Foulkes, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “The simple act of adding induction chemotherapy to the start of chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer has produced amazing results. Adding additional chemotherapy before other treatments such as surgery or radiotherapy There is growing evidence that patients may have a better chance of success in treatment, as well as reducing the chance that their cancer will come back, using drugs that are already available around the world. It can also treat cancer quickly.”
