There could be new hope on the horizon for women fighting cervical cancer.
Researchers investigated a new approach to treating the disease in a study funded by Cancer Research UK.
In a phase 3 trial, patients went through a short, six-week course of chemotherapy before starting standard chemoradiation (CRT) treatment.
CERVICAL CANCER DEATHS COULD BE REDUCED WITH HOME HPV TESTING, STUDY FINDS
This approach was found to slash death risk by 40%, and it also reduced the likelihood of the disease returning or relapsing by 35%.
There are about 11,500 new cervical cancer diagnoses in the U.S. each year and about 4,000 women die from the disease, according to the CDC. (iStock)
After five years, 80% of trial participants who received the induction chemo session followed by CRT survived, and 73% reported that their cancer had not returned or spread.
Dr. Mary McCormack, PhD, one of the trial researchers, shared with Fox News Digital that this method led to an 8% absolute improvement in survival rates at five years.
CERVICAL CANCER DRUG RAISES SURVIVAL RATE BY 30% COMPARED TO CHEMOTHERAPY: ‘GAME-CHANGER’
Over the team’s decade-long research, McCormack noted that there have been some changes in standard radiation delivery.
“As this was a randomized trial, these changes, which were incorporated into the study, were taken into account and affected both arms of the trial equally,” she said.
After five years, 80% of trial participants who received the induction chemo followed by CRT survived by the five-year mark. (iStock)
Based on these findings, McCormack encouraged clinicians to offer an additional short course of chemo to their patients.
“These drugs are widely available,” she said. “The trial results should be incorporated into national and international guidelines within the next few months.”
For more Health articles, visit foxnews.com/health
Dr. Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology and co-chair of the Cancer Research Committee at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Florida, called these results “very compelling.”
“They demonstrate a significant overall survival and progression-free survival advantage in patients who suffer from this disease,” he told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The doctor did note a few limitations, however, including that the trial was not done in a “United States-like setting.”
Based on these findings, the researchers encourage clinicians to offer an additional short course of chemo to their patients. (iStock)
“This may have led to under-performance of the control arm,” Slomovitz said. “Also, radiation techniques and the availability of therapies after progression (especially immunotherapy) have improved since this trial.”
“I am really not sure whether it’s applicable for patients in the U.S.,” he continued. “I look forward to future studies to hopefully confirm these results.”
There are about 11,500 new cervical cancer diagnoses in the U.S. each year and about 4,000 women die from the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
To prevent cervical cancer, experts recommend getting vaccinated against types of HPV (human papillomavirus) that can cause it.
The CDC also recommends that women get routine Pap smears and HPV screenings.