Immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer management

Cervical cancer represents a substantial public health challenge with devastating consequences. Although the disease can be prevented through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screened using cervical cytology or primary high-risk HPV DNA testing, there are still approximately 600 000 new cases diagnosed worldwide each year and nearly 300 000 needless deaths. 1 European CommissionECIS—European Cancer Information System. https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.euDate accessed: February 16, 2024 Google Scholar In the EU, an estimated 30 447 new cases and 13 437 deaths occurred in 2020. 1 European CommissionECIS—European Cancer Information System. https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.euDate accessed: February 16, 2024 Google Scholar With a mean age of 51 years at recurrence, affected individuals tend to be in the midst of their professional careers and might have small children at home. Accordingly, efforts to improve outcomes before recurrence remain a priority. More than two decades have passed since the National Cancer Institute's Clinical Announcement in 1999 attesting to the survival benefits conferred through platinum-based chemoradiation for locally advanced disease. 2 National Cancer InstituteNCI issues clinical announcement on cervical cancer: chemotherapy plus radiation improves survival. https://old-prod.asco.org/sites/new-www.asco.org/files/content-files/blog-release/pdf/1999-NCI-Issues-Clinical-Announcement.pdfDate: 1999 Date accessed: March 14, 2024 Google Scholar Pembrolizumab or placebo with chemoradiotherapy followed by pembrolizumab or placebo for newly diagnosed, high-risk, locally advanced cervical cancer (ENGOT-cx11/GOG-3047/KEYNOTE-A18): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 clinical trialPembrolizumab plus chemoradiotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with newly diagnosed, high-risk, locally advanced cervical cancer. Full-Text PDF