Objective: To explore the optimal fertility-sparing treatment for stage IB2 cervical cancer. We compared the outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by radical trachelectomy (RT) with those of upfront abdominal RT (ART).
Methods: This is a retrospective study with prospectively collected data between August 2015 and July 2019. Patients with IB2 cervical cancer who desired fertility preservation underwent NACT followed by RT, or upfront ART, per their choice.
Results: This study included 51 patients, of which, 16 patients underwent NACT followed by RT and 35 patients chose upfront ART. Fertility was preserved in 12 (75.0%) and 27 (77.1%) patients from the NACT and upfront ART groups, respectively. Incidence rates of intraoperative (0% versus 3.7%) and postoperative complications (25.0% versus 48.1%) of the NACT group were lower compared to the upfront ART group (P=NS). Eleven (91.7%) patients in NACT group and 17 (63.0%) patients in upfront ART groups received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. The median follow-up, and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates of the NACT-RT and upfront ART groups were 56 and 61 months, and 83.3% and 96.3%, respectively (P=NS). The recurrence rate was higher in patients with tumor reduction <50% after NACT than that in patients with tumor reduction >50% (66.7% versus 0%, P < 0.05). Tumor reduction <50% was the only independent predictor of recurrence in patients who underwent NACT before RT.
Conclusions: NACT followed by RT could be a feasible fertility-sparing option for selected patients with 1B2 cervical cancer. The NACT group had a relatively higher recurrence rate and fewer complications compared to the upfront ART group, albeit without statistical significance. Patients with tumor regression >50% after NACT could be ideal candidates for RT after NACT.
Keywords: Cervical cancer; Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; Radical trachelectomy.
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