Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
Blue Sky Offices Shoreham, 25 Cecil Pashley Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5FF, UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0)1273 434 943
Email: [email protected]
A trial testing out a new treatment regime for cervical cancer patients has resulted in “the biggest improvement in outcomes” for patients in over 20 years.
The treatment, which involves an initial six-week course of induction chemotherapy followed by standard treatment with chemoradiation (CRT), reduced the risk of cancer returning or death by 35%, according to a new study.
The trial was funded by Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, and the results were presented earlier this week at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) congress.
Cervical cancer returns in 30% of cases
The peak incidence of cervical cancer is in women in their early thirties, with around 3,200 new cases each year in the UK.
Chemoradiation has been the standard treatment for cervical cancer for the past two decades, and while this has been shown to be an effective treatment for the majority of patients, cancer returns in up to 30% of cases.
Professor Jonathan Ledermann, senior author of the results from UCL Cancer Institute, said: “Cervical cancer is a disease that often strikes women in their thirties or younger.
“Those with locally advanced disease have a relatively high chance of relapse and the disease can take a huge toll on patients and their families.
“This makes the results of the INTERLACE trial, which significantly improves overall survival, an important advance in treatment.”
Induction chemotherapy plus CRT reduced mortality rates
The trial involved 500 patients from five countries, with a median age of 46, who were followed up over a period of 10 years.
Those who participated in the study had been diagnosed with cervical cancer, which was large enough to be seen without a microscope but had not yet spread to other parts of the body
All participants were randomised to either receive standard CRT or an initial six-week course of induction chemotherapy followed by CRT.
After five years, 80% of those who received induction chemotherapy plus CRT were alive compared to 72% in the standard treatment group.
There was also a significant reduction in patients who saw their cancer return or spread, with 73% in the induction chemotherapy group staying cancer free compared to 64% in the standard treatment group.
Potential for chemotherapy to soon be incorporated into standard treatment
Dr Mary McCormack, lead investigator of the trial from UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH, said: “This is the biggest improvement in outcome in this disease in over 20 years.
“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.
“We couldn’t have done this without the generous support of Cancer Research UK.”
The authors of the study say this new regime could be easily incorporated into standard treatment, as the drugs used for induction chemotherapy are cheap, accessible and already approved for use in patients.