New Treatment for Cervical Cancer Could Cut Death Rates by 40%, Study Shows

Breakthrough in Understanding Cervical Cancer

A groundbreaking new treatment for cervical cancer has the potential to reduce death rates by up to 40%, according to a recent study. Scientists at University College London conducted a 10-year trial involving 500 patients from around the world, making it the largest study of its kind in two decades. The researchers examined the effectiveness of a short course of induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by chemoradiation (CRT) in reducing relapse and mortality rates.

Promising Results

After five years, the study found that 80% of patients who received IC plus CRT were still alive, and 73% had not experienced a recurrence or spread of their cancer. In comparison, the figures for the standard treatment group were 72% and 54% respectively. The death rate among patients who received the new treatment was 39% lower after five years compared to those who received the traditional treatment.

Major Breakthrough in Decades

Lead investigator Dr. Mary McCormack from UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH described the findings as the "biggest improvement in outcome in this disease in over 20 years." She expressed her gratitude to the patients who participated in the trial and highlighted the importance of their contribution in advancing treatment options for cervical cancer patients worldwide. The study received generous support from Cancer Research UK.

Current Treatment and Survival Rates

Cervical cancer is most commonly diagnosed in women in their early 30s, with approximately 3,200 new cases reported each year in the UK. The standard treatment for the past two decades has been CRT, which combines chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, despite advancements in radiation therapy techniques, up to 30% of cases experience a cancer recurrence. The five-year survival rate for cervical cancer is currently around 70%, according to Cancer Research UK.

Accessible and Affordable Treatment Option

The Interlace trial, conducted over a decade, involved 500 patients from hospitals in the UK, Mexico, India, Italy, and Brazil. The patients had been diagnosed with cervical cancer that was visible without a microscope but had not spread to other parts of the body. The drugs used for IC, carboplatin and paclitaxel, are already approved for use in patients and are relatively inexpensive and accessible. This means that the new treatment could be quickly incorporated into standard care.

Experts' Perspective

Professor Jonathan Ledermann, senior author of the study from UCL Cancer Institute, described the results as "an important advance in treatment." Dr. Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, emphasized the significance of timing in cancer treatment and praised the addition of induction chemotherapy to chemoradiation as a "remarkable" development. He also noted that this approach has shown promise in other cancers and expressed hope that short courses of induction chemotherapy will soon become a standard part of cervical cancer treatment.

The preliminary results of the study were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology congress in Madrid, Spain.