Post by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

A clinical trial led by researchers from UCL and UCLH has found cervical cancer patients are significantly more likely to be alive and cancer-free after five years when given a short course of chemotherapy prior to chemoradiation. The INTERLACE phase III trial, funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre, assessed whether a short course of induction chemotherapy (IC) prior to CRT could reduce the rate of relapse and death among patients with advanced cervical cancer that hasn’t spread to other parts of the body. UCLH consultant clinical oncologist and UCL Cancer Institute scientist Dr Mary McCormack, lead investigator of the trial, said: “A short course of induction chemotherapy prior to standard chemoradiation treatment greatly boosts overall survival and reduces the risk of relapse in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. “This approach is a straightforward way to make a positive difference, using existing drugs that are cheap and already approved for use in patients. It has already been adopted by some cancer centres and there’s no reason that this shouldn’t be offered to all patients undergoing chemoradiation for this cancer.” Find out more about the trial: https://buff.ly/4eJen66