Efficacy and safety of adjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) is generally treated using concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT); yet, the effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) following CCRT remains controversial.

Methods: The databases Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed were analyzed for relevant research. Primary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Results: Fifteen trials with 4041 patients were included. Pooled HRs for PFS and OS were 0.81 (95 % CI: 0.67-0.96) and 0.69 (95 % CI: 0.51-0.93), respectively. However, subgroup analyses indicated that in randomized trials and trials with larger sample sizes (n > 100) as well as ACT cycles ≤ 3, ACT was not linked with improved PFS and OS. Moreover, ACT induced a greater rate of hematologic toxicities (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Higher quality of evidence suggests that ACT could not yield additional survival benefits for LACC; however, identifying high-risk patients who may benefit from ACT is required to design further clinical trials and better inform treatment decisions.