Commentary
Kapil Dev, Venkateshaiah R Pal
Abstract
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women in India and diagnosed new cases around 1,32,000 and 74,000 deaths annually. Although, a progress in the management of cervical cancer has been accomplished over the past 5-6 decades, including introduction of PAP smear into screening as well as surveillance and addition of systemic platinum based chemotherapy to radiation therapy with proved definite benefits, the rate of recurrence in optimally treated cervical cancer is still significant. Up to 10% to 25% women with cervical cancer stage IB-IIA without lymph node involvement experience a recurrence, which is higher among patients with advance stages with lymph node involvement and locally advanced disease, and ranges up to 70%. The majority of the recurrences in cervical cancer are pelvic failure in comparison to distant recurrence, irrespective of the stage at diagnosis and prior treatment taken.