A groundbreaking ten-year trial published in The Lancet has revealed a new treatment regime that reduces cervical cancer deaths by 40%, marking a significant advancement in treatment over the past 25 years.

The INTERLACE phase III clinical trial demonstrated that a short course of induction chemotherapy followed by standard chemoradiation significantly improved survival rates, with 80% of patients alive after five years compared to 72% in the standard treatment group.

Conducted by University College London, the study involved 500 patients from the UK, Mexico, India, Italy, and Brazil, comparing the new treatment with standard care.

Lead investigator Dr. Mary McCormack described this discovery as the most significant breakthrough in cervical cancer treatment since the introduction of chemoradiation in 1999.

Results showed a 35% reduction in the risk of cancer recurrence, highlighting the effectiveness of the new treatment approach.

Currently, the NHS employs a chemoradiation approach for cervical cancer patients, which has been in use since 1999, but cancer recurrence occurs in up to 30% of cases.

The trial's significant findings have prompted calls for the new treatment to be implemented across the UK and internationally, potentially transforming cervical cancer care.

The results are expected to lead to the inclusion of induction chemotherapy in national and international treatment guidelines for cervical cancer.

In the UK, approximately 3,200 new cervical cancer cases are diagnosed annually, with many affecting women in their 30s, underscoring the need for effective treatment options.

Patient Abbie Halls, who participated in the trial, expressed gratitude for the advancement in research, emphasizing its potential to save lives.

Professor Jonathan Ledermann noted that the low incremental cost of the drugs used in the trial allows for easy implementation across various health systems.

While the trial showed promising results, the authors noted that it did not include patients at the highest risk, which may affect the generalizability of the findings.