A groundbreaking new treatment for cervical cancer has reduced the risk of death by 40%, marking the most significant advancement in treating the disease in 25 years. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, with about 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization.
In the UK alone, approximately 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, resulting in around 800 deaths. Despite advances in care, about 30% of cases still experience a relapse.
The new treatment approach, tested in a 10-year study involving patients from the UK, Mexico, India, Italy, and Brazil, combines a short course of chemotherapy followed by standard chemoradiation, which is the current treatment method involving chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The clinical trial, led by University College London (UCL), demonstrated a 40% reduction in death risk and a 35% reduction in the risk of cancer recurrence within five years. The results hailed as the biggest breakthrough since 1999, were published in The Lancet.
The Interlace trial, funded by Cancer Research UK, explored whether induction chemotherapy before chemoradiation could prevent relapses and improve survival rates in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer that hadn’t spread to other organs.
The trial recruited 500 women who were randomly assigned to receive either the new treatment regime or the standard chemoradiation. The new regime involved a six-week course of chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by standard chemoradiation.
After five years, the results showed that 80% of women who received the new chemotherapy treatment were still alive, and 72% had not seen their cancer return or spread. In comparison, those receiving standard treatment had a 72% survival rate, with 64% avoiding recurrence or spread. Additionally, a separate analysis showed a 40% reduction in death risk and a 35% reduction in cancer recurrence, further affirming the success of the new regimen.
The findings have led to calls for this treatment to be adopted widely across the UK and internationally. The trial’s lead investigator, Dr. Mary McCormack, emphasized that this approach significantly boosts survival rates and reduces relapse risks using affordable and widely available drugs.
Experts, including Dr. Iain Foulkes from Cancer Research UK, agree that adding induction chemotherapy before chemoradiation could improve treatment outcomes globally, providing a simple yet effective way to enhance cervical cancer care.
