What is Chemoradiation?
Chemoradiation is a treatment for cervical cancer that combines two methods: radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Radiotherapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells, and this can be done both externally (from outside the body) and internally (called brachytherapy). Chemotherapy, on the other hand, uses drugs usually given into the vein, to target and destroy cancer cells.
The INTERLACE Trial
Chemoradiation has been the main treatment for advanced cervical cancer for the past decades. However, in some cases, the cancer still spreads to other parts of the body. Researchers at University College London wanted to see if adding extra chemotherapy before starting chemoradiation could help stop the spread of cancer and improve survival rates.
Results of the Trial
The trial involved 500 women with cervical cancer from 5 different countries, and the results are encouraging. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group received chemoradiation alone, while the other group received extra chemotherapy first, followed by the same chemoradiation treatment. After 5 years, 73% of women who received the additional chemotherapy saw their cancer stopped from spreading, compared to 64% of those who only had chemoradiation. The extra chemotherapy also appears to lower the risk of death when given before chemoradiation.
Conclusion
This study shows that giving chemotherapy before chemoradiation significantly improves survival and helps prevent the cancer from spreading. The final paper describing this trial is awaited.
References:
1. https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)04172-8/fulltext
2. https://cancerprevention.qmul.ac.uk/index.php/2024/04/26/treatment-for-locally-advanced-cervical-cancer-interlace/
