Research into Cervical Cancer

Researchers are currently conducting clinical trials into several targeted therapies for cervical cancer. Clinical trials are necessary to perform an objective and controlled assessment of the activity of these new drugs. They also provide an opportunity for patients to benefit from treatment with these new targeted therapies.

Most clinical trials into cervical cancer study the potential of immunotherapy –a treatment that has proved effective in other types of cancer and which has already presented promising results in cervical cancer. Immunotherapy involves the use of medicines that stimulate the patient’s own immune system to recognise and destroy tumour cells more effectively.

Other lines of research focus on developing:

• Diagnostic tests that can be used to prevent cervical cancer based on HPV detection.
• Less aggressive surgical interventions that yield similar survival rates but with fewer side effects (laparoscopic and robotic surgery, vaginal approaches and nerve-sparing procedures).
• Fertility-sparing surgery in young women and even in the case of not so early-stage tumours (chemotherapy prior to conservative surgery).