Perioperative treatments for stage IB-IIB uterine cervical cancer

Japan Society of Gynecologic Oncology guidelines recommended either radical hysterectomy-based approach or the definitive radiotherapy including concurrent chemoradiotherapy as primary treatment for patients with not only stage IB1/IIA1, but also stages IB2, IIA2 and IIB. Based on pathological findings of surgical specimens, patients who underwent radical hysterectomy are divided into three recurrent-risk groups, low-risk, intermediate, and high-risk groups. Although some authors reported the usefulness of adjuvant chemotherapy for intermediate/high-risk patients, radiotherapy was standard adjuvant treatment for pathological-risk patients after radical hysterectomy. It has been uncertain whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy is beneficial for stage IB2-IIB patients. Recently, the randomized phase III study revealed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy failed to improve survival of stage IB2-IIB patients compared to concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Majority of stage IB2-IIB patients are required adjuvant radiotherapy after radical hysterectomy. The multimodality strategy consisting of radical hysterectomy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy is associated with not only impaired quality of life, but also conflicting of cost-effectiveness. Thereby, some authors investigated the significance of multimodality strategy consisting of chemotherapy before/after radical hysterectomy for stage IB2-IIB cervical cancer. Multimodality strategy consisting of radical hysterectomy/perioperative chemotherapy needs higher curability of radical hysterectomy, higher response to perioperative chemotherapy and less perioperative complications. Consequently, gynecologic oncologists have to examine the patients strictly before treatment and judge whether radical hysterectomy-based approach or definitive irradiation is appropriate for the patient with stage IB-IIB cervical cancer.