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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgery versus surgery for cervical cancer
Cochrane Reviews, 02/03/2010
Review Article
Rydzewska L et al. – This review was based on six trials that included 1072 women. Using the information available from the trials on the effects of chemotherapy, the authors found that giving chemotherapy before surgery helped women to live longer without cancer. It also seemed to help stop the disease from spreading. But it was not clear if chemotherapy made it easier to operate on the tumour. It was also not clear if chemotherapy helped to stop the cancer recurring, or if it helped women live longer in general. The type of drugs used or how they were given did not have any effect on the overall results. Also, results were similar in women with early stage and more advanced stages of disease. Although neoadjuvant chemotherapy seems to have some effect on cervical cancer it is not clear that it helps women to live longer. However, if new drugs or new drug combinations are shown to have promising results, it may be worth doing more trials of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery with these new treatments.
