Managing advanced-stage cervical cancer

The current staging methods and the definition of advanced cervical cancer are discussed. The clinical International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system has been found to be inaccurate and this limits treatment planning. More accurate management could be based on surgicopathological features of the tumour. However, the latest imaging techniques have the potential to give us this information in a non-invasive way. To deliver optimal treatment in advanced cervical cancer, we need to optimize the way we categorize the prognostic groups. Accurately delineating the extent of the disease will potentially minimize treatment morbidity and improve survival. The techniques of chemoradiation are also discussed in detail.