Ways to improve the diagnostics and detection of cervical cancer development and recurrence risk

Abstract

Relevance: Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of female death and the third most common female cancer worldwide. The purpose of the study was to determine risk factors and time to progression and recurrence in patients with cervical cancer after complex treatment (neoadjuvant chemotherapy + radical hysterectomy + combined radiation therapy). Materials and methods: This retrospective study involved female patients with stage IB-IIA cervical cancer registered at Shymkent city oncological dispensary in 2011-2021 (n=883). All patients underwent radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection. The patients were selected who underwent radiation therapy of the lower pelvis at a dose of ≥40 g. The age-, stage-, and tumor morphological structure-dependent survival factors and recurrence risk were analyzed during the research decade. Results: Direct correlation of the disease stage and the recurrence period was established. The progression was most often 5 to 6 months after treatment. 68.7% of progression and 63.1% of recurrences occurred in the first year and a half after the end of treatment, so this period is considered the most “dangerous” regarding the recurrence risk. 5.3% of patients had a recurrence 19 to 24 months after treatment, 31.5% – after more than two years. Conclusions: In this research, cervical cancer progressed in 74 (10.6%) out of 883 women and recurred in 19 (3.0%). The recurrence was most frequent in women aged 45-50 years (28.4%) and 50-60 years (26.3%).