Adjuvant therapy in early-stage cervical cancer after radical hysterectomy: are we overtreating our patients? A meta-analysis

Cost-utility and budget impact analyses of cervical cancer screening using self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing in Thailand

INTRODUCTION

Cervical cancer ranks as the third most prevalent cancer among women in Thailand. However, the effectiveness of cervical cancer screening programs is limited by several factors that impede the screening rate. The utilization of self-collected samples for screening purposes has the potential to alleviate barriers to screening in Thai women. This study assessed the cost-utility and budget impact of implementing cervical cancer screening using self-collected samples for human papillomavirus (HPV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing in Thailand.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We employed a decision tree integrated with a Markov model to estimate the lifetime costs and health benefits associated with the cervical cancer screening program for women aged 25-65. The analysis was conducted from a societal perspective. Four screening policy options were compared: (1) additional self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing, (2) clinician-collected samples for HPV DNA testing only, (3) clinician-collected samples for cytology test (i.e., status quo), and (4) no screening. The model inputs were based on unvaccinated women. The screening strategies and management in those with positive results were assumed followed to the Thai clinical practice guideline. Costs were reported in 2022 Thai baht. Sensitivity analyses were conducted. The ten-year budget impacts of the additional self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing were calculated from a payer perspective.

RESULTS

All screening policies were cost-saving compared to no screening. When comparing the additional self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing with the clinician-collected samples policy, it emerged as the dominant strategy. The incremental benefit in cervical cancer prevention achieved by incorporating self-collected samples for screening was observed at any additional screening rate that could be achieved through their use. Sensitivity analyses yielded consistently favorable results for the screening policies. The average annual budget impact of the additional self-collected samples for screening policy amounted to 681 million Thai baht. This budget allocation could facilitate cervical cancer screening for over 10 million women.

CONCLUSIONS

An addition of self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing into the cervical cancer screening program is cost-saving. The benefits of this screening policy outweigh the associated incremental costs. Policymakers should consider this evidence during the policy optimization process.

Role of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Patients with Cervical Cancer Undergoing Radical Hysterectomy

The benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after radical hysterectomy in patients with cervical cancer remains controversial. The aim of this study was to determine adjuvant RT's impact on survival in accordance with Sedlis criteria. Patients with early-stage cervical cancer undergoing radical hysterectomy between 2005 and 2022 at a single tertiary care institution were included. A multivariate analysis was performed to determinate if RT was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence or death. We also analysed whether there was a statistically significant difference in overall survival (OS) between patients who met only one or two Sedlis criteria, depending on whether they received adjuvant RT or not. 121 patients were included in this retrospective study, of whom 48 (39.7%) received adjuvant RT due to the presence of unfavourable pathological findings. In multivariate analysis, RT was not found to be a statistically significant prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.584) or disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.559). When comparing patients who met one or two Sedlis criteria, there were no statistically significant differences in OS between RT and no adjuvant treatment in either group. Since the selection of patients with cervical cancer eligible for surgery is becoming more accurate, adjuvant RT might not be necessary for patients with intermediate risk factors.

SUCCOR Nodes: May Sentinel Node Biopsy Determine the Need for Adjuvant Treatment?

BACKGROUND

The SUCCOR cohort was developed to analyse the overall and disease-free survival at 5 years in women with FIGO 2009 stage IB1 cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the use of adjuvant therapy in these women, depending on the method used to diagnose lymphatic node metastasis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used data from the SUCCOR cohort, which collected information from 1049 women with FIGO 2009 stage IB1 cervical cancer who were operated on between January 2013 and December 2014 in Europe. We calculated the adjusted proportion of women who received adjuvant therapy depending on the lymph node diagnosis method and compared disease free and overall survival using Cox proportional-hazards regression models. Inverse probability weighting was used to adjust for baseline potential confounders.

RESULTS

The adjusted proportion of women who received adjuvant therapy was 33.8% in the sentinel node biopsy + lymphadenectomy (SNB+LA) group and 44.7% in the LA group (p = 0.02), although the proportion of positive nodal status was similar (p = 0.30). That difference was greater in women with negative nodal status and positive Sedlis criteria (difference 31.2%, p = 0.01). Here, those who underwent a SNB+LA had an increased risk of relapse [hazard ratio (HR) 2.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98-6.33, p = 0.056] and risk of death (HR 3.49, 95% CI 1.04-11.7, p = 0.042) compared with those who underwent LA.

CONCLUSIONS

Women in this study were less likely to receive adjuvant therapy if their nodal invasion was determined using SNB+LA compared with LA. These results suggest a lack of therapeutic measures available when a negative result is obtained by SNB+LA, which may have an impact on the risk of recurrence and survival.

Adjuvant treatment after radical surgery for cervical cancer with intermediate risk factors: is it time for an update?

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. The preferred treatment for early stage cervical cancer is radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node assessment, and adjuvant therapy is suggested according to histopathological risk factors. A landmark study was published in 1999 that established 'intermediate risk' criteria for relapse, showing a benefit in recurrence free rate in patients that received pelvic radiotherapy. Furthermore, in the presence of parametrial, nodal, or vaginal margin involvement, another key study found that the addition of concurrent cisplatin based chemotherapy to radiation therapy improved progression free and overall survival for 'high risk' early cervical cancer. With the advancement in treatment modalities in surgery and radiotherapy, and the improved identification of prognostic histopathological factors, several authors have reconsidered the role of adjuvant therapy after radical hysterectomy in the presence of intermediate risk criteria. Here we review the literature on the evolution of adjuvant therapy for intermediate risk factors.