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The role of radical hysterectomy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy in carcinoma of the cervix

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Abstract

The patient presenting with a bulky stage IB2 cervical cancer is a therapeutic challenge. None of the current surgical or radiation treatment strategies satisfactorily leads to a high rate of disease-free survival and a low risk of treatment-related complications including ovarian failure and psychosexual deficits. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may allow for reductions in tumor bulk, thereby rendering radiation therapy more effective or surgery more feasible. Impressive clinical response rates to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy have been achieved with acceptable toxicity. Approximately 20% of patients achieve a complete clinical response, and many also experience a complete pathologic response. There are still too few comparative studies and phase III trials to assess the effectiveness of neoadjudvant chemotherapy and radical surgery relative to standard treatments.

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  1. Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 535 Barnhill Drive RT433, 46202-5274, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    David H. Moore MD

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  1. David H. Moore MD
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Moore, D.H. The role of radical hysterectomy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy in carcinoma of the cervix. Curr Oncol Rep 4, 145–151 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-002-0075-2

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