Induction Chemotherapy Enhances Survival in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

In the INTERLACE phase 3 trial involving 500 patients, adding a short-course induction regimen of carboplatin and paclitaxel to standard cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy significantly improved 5-year progression-free survival (72% vs 64%; HR 0.65, p=0.013) and overall survival (80% vs 72%; HR 0.60, p=0.015), albeit with a modest increase in grade 3 or higher toxicities.

This trial supports a "more is more" strategy, where induction chemotherapy before chemoradiation offers a meaningful survival benefit in locally advanced cervical cancer, despite slightly higher toxicity rates.