A study found that cervical cancer patients who receive initial drug treatment before their standard treatment are a third less likely to die or have the disease come back.
Since 1999, chemoradiotherapy – the simultaneous administration of chemotherapy and radiation therapy – has been the standard treatment, but despite improved techniques, the cancer occurs in up to 30 percent of cases.
A team from University College London recruited 500 patients to take part in a ten-year study.
They all had cervical cancer that was large enough to be seen without a microscope but had not spread.
Most cases of cervical cancer occur in women in their early 30s, with around 3,200 new diagnoses made each year in the UK (stock photo)
Each participant received standard chemoradiation therapy, but some initially received induction chemotherapy.
The intensive treatment, which uses drugs to destroy as many cancer cells as possible to maximize the benefits of chemoradiotherapy, has certain risks and may not be suitable for everyone.
However, an initial analysis found that after five years, 80 percent of those who received both treatments were still alive and 73 percent had seen neither recurrence nor spread of the cancer.
In the standard treatment group, 72 percent were still alive and 64 percent saw no recurrence or spread of the cancer.
Dr Iain Foulkes, chief executive of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, praised the “remarkable results” (file photo).
Dr Mary McCormack, lead researcher of the study, said: “Our study shows that this short course of adjuvant chemotherapy, given immediately before standard CRT, can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence or death by 35 per cent.” This is the biggest improvement in disease progression in more than two decades.”
Most cases of cervical cancer occur in women in their early 30s, with around 3,200 new diagnoses made in the UK each year.
According to Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, the five-year survival rate for cervical cancer is around 70 percent.
Because the drugs needed for induction chemotherapy – carboplatin and paclitaxel – are cheap, accessible and already approved for use in patients, the researchers say they can be relatively quickly integrated into standard treatment.
Dr Iain Foulkes, chief executive of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, praised the “remarkable results”.
He said: “When it comes to treating cancer, timing is everything.”
“Not only can it reduce the risk of cancer recurrence, it can also be treated quickly with drugs that are already available worldwide.”
Source link
Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
