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.