Despite focus on HPV vaccination in younger populations, a significant portion (20%) of cervical cancer diagnoses occur in women over 65. This highlights the need for continued vigilance and awareness in older age groups who may mistakenly believe they are no longer at risk.
Cervical cancer is one of the few malignancies where clinical staging via physical examination remains paramount. Advanced imaging like MRI or PET scans can sometimes overestimate the extent of the disease, making a hands-on clinical exam essential for accurate staging and treatment planning.
HER2 expression in cervical cancer can be heterogeneous and may emerge in metastatic sites even if the primary tumor was negative. Given the availability of effective HER2-targeting drugs, re-biopsying a metastatic focus is crucial to unlock previously unavailable treatment options for patients with recurrent disease.
Recent trials have created a clinical dilemma. The A18 study supports adding immunotherapy to chemoradiation, while the INTERLACE study supports induction chemotherapy before chemoradiation. With both showing survival benefits, clinicians must now choose between two new, distinct, and unreconciled standards of care.