[Progress in the treatment of cervical cancer]

The cure rate of cervical cancer is undoubtedly improved by early detection accomplished by mass-screening programs. Improvements in surgical technique have also reduced the incidence of complications. Conization or laser vaporization for stage 0 and extended hysterectomy for stage Ia are demonstrated to be appropriate treatment modalities. Extended surgery, such as total pelvic exenteration, is applied for advanced cancer. For radiation treatment, fast-neutron irradiation, intraoperative irradiation and interstitial irradiation have been tested. Hyperthermia combined with irradiation is one of the most attractive methods, which deserves further investigation. Irradiation of the para-aortic lymph nodes has been started by many institutions. Great progress has been achieved in chemotherapy for cervical cancer. Multi-drug combination chemotherapy including cis-platinum has yielded promising results, and intra-arterial infusion and long-term maintenance chemotherapy have been tried with the expectation of favorable outcome. It is concluded that individualized multi-disciplinary treatment will be the best approach for cervical cancer.