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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery in cervical cancer: past, present and future
  1. Raviteja Miriyala1,
  2. Umesh Mahantshetty1,
  3. Amita Maheshwari2 and
  4. Sudeep Gupta3
  1. 1 Radiation Oncology, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
  2. 2 Gynecologic Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  3. 3 Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  1. Correspondence to Dr Umesh Mahantshetty, Radiation Oncology, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India; drumeshm{at}yahoo.com

Abstract

Background Cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiation is the standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer. In view of the difficulties associated with implementation of standard radiation protocols in low- and middle-income countries and the associated toxicities of chemoradiation, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery has been tried as an alternative treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer.

Methods A comprehensive review was undertaken of the existing literature, caveats and potential avenues of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery compared with chemoradiation in locally advanced cervical cancer.

Results Randomized studies conducted in the pre-chemoradiation era comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery with definitive radiotherapy alone showed favorable outcomes with the chemo-surgical approach. However, contemporary studies evaluating the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery have failed to establish this approach as the standard. About 25–30% of patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy remain inoperable and require definitive chemoradiation. A similar proportion of patients would require adjuvant (chemo)radiation after neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery, resulting in excessive morbidity. Evaluation of time trends across the past few decades reveals that the advancements in delivery of radiation (external beam and brachytherapy) have translated into improvement in outcomes for locally advanced cervical cancer, while a similar trend was not observed for surgery or chemotherapy.

Conclusion Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery cannot be considered a standard of care in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. This approach needs further clinical research to generate robust high-quality evidence especially for the sub-sets that might potentially benefit in terms of survival, toxicity and quality of life, against the gold standard treatment of concomitant chemoradiation.

  • cervical cancer
  • surgery
  • radiotherapy

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Footnotes

  • Contributors All authors have contributed equally to this invited manuscript and are involved in planning, conduct and reporting of the work.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests UM: serves on DSMB/Advisory board of AstraZeneca and is Secretary of the Indian Brachytherapy Society. SG: serves on DSMB/Advisory board of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Eisai and Eli Lily and is Vice-President of the Indian Society of Medical and Pediatric Oncology and General Secretary of the Women’s Cancer Initiative-Tata Memorial Hospital.

  • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.