Integrating chemotherapy in the management of cervical cancer: a critical appraisal

The management of locally advanced cervix cancer has undergone a paradigm shift during the last decade. Concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) (with cisplatin alone or in combination) is currently the standard treatment approach. CCRT results in a 5-year overall survival rate of 66% and a disease-free survival of 58%. About 30-40% of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer fail to achieve complete response to CCRT; alternative approaches are needed to improve the outcome for such patients. Weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin for 4-6 weeks as dose-dense chemotherapy prior to CCRT could be one such potential approach. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy after CCRT in patients with positive lymph nodes, larger tumor volume and stage III-IVA disease needs further exploration. Adjuvant chemotherapy is also being investigated for early-stage (stages IA2, IB1 or IIA) cervical cancer with presence of risk factors such as lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular space invasion and invasion depth of more than 10 mm, microscopic parametrial invasion, non-squamous histology and positive surgical margins. For patients with early-stage disease (IA2-IIA), short-course chemotherapy prior to surgery is associated with an improved outcome in many studies. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by fertility preservation surgery is feasible in carefully selected young patients with bulky stage IB1 disease. Recently, a number of molecular pathways have been identified as potential therapeutic targets. Bevacizumab - an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor - is associated with improved survival in patients with recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer. Whether bevacizumab and other similar novel agents targeting molecular pathways could be used in front-line treatment along with cytotoxic chemotherapy is likely to be an area of research in future studies