New review on breakthroughs in cervical cancer published in Biomolecules and Biomedicine
May 22, 2025
This review explores the current landscape of immunotherapy and biomarker advancements in cervical cancer as well as promising future therapy options.
The immunotherapy breakthroughs in cervical cancer: Focus on potential biomarkers and further therapy advances
- Maja Pezer Naletilić, Department of Oncology, University Hospital Center Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Krešimir Tomić, Department of Oncology, University Hospital Center Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Kristina Katić, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5037-4957
- Zoran Gatalica, Reference Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
- Gordan Srkalović, University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Herbert-Herman Cancer Center, Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Eduard Vrdoljak, Department of Oncology, University Hospital Center Split, Split, Croatia
- Semir Vranić, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9743-7265
Abstract
Despite the well-established role of human papillomavirus (HPV) as the primary cause of cervical cancer (CC) and the existence of an effective HPV vaccine, over half a million women are diagnosed with CC globally each year, with more than half of them dying from the disease. Immunotherapy has rapidly become a cornerstone of cancer treatment, offering substantial improvements in survival rates and reducing treatment-related side effects compared to traditional therapies. For the past 25 years, chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has been the standard treatment for locally advanced CC (LACC). However, while adjuvant chemotherapy has failed to improve outcomes in LACC, the integration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) with CRT, as well as chemoimmunoradiotherapy followed by consolidation immunotherapy, has transformed treatment strategies, demonstrating superior efficacy compared to CRT alone. In the first-line treatment of CC, adding pembrolizumab to platinum-based chemotherapy, either with or without bevacizumab, has significantly improved outcomes compared to platinum-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab alone. This review explores the current landscape of immunotherapy and biomarker advancements in CC. Furthermore, we discuss promising future directions, including the potential of personalized immunotherapy approaches and novel combination therapies to further enhance treatment efficacy and improve prognoses for patients with CC.
