Cervical cancer is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and screening, but about 14,000 people in the US are diagnosed each year. Treatment typically involves surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy depending on stage. Advanced cervical cancer has been harder to treat, though immune checkpoint inhibitors approved in recent years have extended survival for some patients.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment, antibody-drug conjugates that deliver chemotherapy directly to tumor cells, therapeutic vaccines aimed at HPV proteins, and PARP inhibitors for tumors with DNA repair defects. Researchers are also studying ways to reduce treatment side effects and preserve fertility in younger patients.
Antibody-drug conjugates
These drugs attach chemotherapy to antibodies that seek out cancer cells, potentially delivering stronger treatment with fewer side effects. Tisotumab vedotin was FDA-approved in 2021 for recurrent cervical cancer and continues to be studied in earlier-stage disease.
Immunotherapy combinations
Pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy is now standard for advanced cervical cancer based on trial results showing improved survival. Trials are testing whether adding immunotherapy earlier, or combining different immune drugs, can help more patients.
Therapeutic HPV vaccines
Unlike preventive HPV vaccines, these aim to treat existing cervical cancer by training the immune system to attack HPV-infected cells. Several vaccines are being tested alone and with immunotherapy drugs.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on cancer stage, whether it's newly diagnosed or recurrent, prior treatments received, HPV type, and PD-L1 expression in the tumor.
What types of trials are currently open
- Immunotherapy trials — Testing immune checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab or cemiplimab, often combined with chemotherapy or radiation, to see if they work better than current treatment.
- Targeted therapy trials — Testing drugs that target specific proteins in cervical cancer cells, including antibody-drug conjugates and PARP inhibitors.
- Vaccine trials — Testing therapeutic vaccines designed to help the immune system recognize and destroy HPV-infected cancer cells.
- Radiation trials — Studying new radiation techniques or schedules, and testing drugs that might make radiation more effective.
- Surgery trials — Comparing surgical approaches, especially for early-stage cancer where fertility preservation may be possible.
Recently added Cervical Cancer trials
Vitamin D Status and Clinical Outcomes in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer
Background. Definitive chemoradiotherapy represents the standard therapeutic approach for the management of locally advanced cervical cancer. Vitamin D plays an important role in the regulation of cellular growth and differentiation, immune system function, and the modulation of inflammatory processes. Hypovitaminosis D may be associated with the development of cervical cancer, whereas its impact on the effects of oncological treatment remains insufficiently elucidated. The aim of this study is to investigate the predictive significance of vitamin D in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. Methods. This study is designed as a clinical, observational, prospective cohort study. Patients with locally advanced cervical cancer undergoing definitive chemoradiotherapy at the Clinic for Radiation Oncology, University Clinical Center Kragujevac, will be enrolled. Vitamin D concentrations will be measured before the initiation of treatment in both serum and cervical lavage samples. Baseline vitamin D levels will be analyzed in relation to treatment outcome and the occurrence of acute radiation toxicity. In addition, vitamin D concentrations will be evaluated in the context of clinical and morphological parameters, therapeutic response, and treatment-related toxicity. Expected Results. This study will enable an assessment of the actual significance of pretreatment vitamin D concentrations in serum and cervical lavage as a potential novel biomarker in relation to chemoradiosensitivity and/or chemoradioresistance of cervical cancer, as well as the response of organs at risk, in patients with locally advanced disease.
Methylation Profile Test (Methylscape) in Body Fluids for Multi-Cancer Detection and Monitoring in Colombia
DNA methylation changes occur early and broadly during carcinogenesis. Methylscape is a rapid assay that detects global DNA methylation patterns in body fluids (blood, urine, and saliva) and may detect a cancer signal and predict the cancer signal origin (CSO) from a single fluid sample, using the differential interaction between methylated and unmethylated DNA and gold nanoparticles. This prospective observational study evaluates the diagnostic performance (sensitivity and specificity) of the Methylscape test in Colombian patients with various biopsy-confirmed solid tumors compared with age- and sex-matched cancer-free (healthy) volunteers. The study is conducted in three parts: Phase 1 validates the assay in 250 patients with cancer; Sub-study 2a compares 1,500 patients with cancer against 1,500 matched cancer-free volunteers; and Sub-study 2b uses serial blood and urine sampling in 300 patients with early-stage disease to assess detection of disease relapse during follow-up, in parallel with standard imaging. The study also estimates positive and negative predictive values (PPV/NPV) and projects the budget impact and cost-effectiveness of Methylscape as a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tool in an upper-middle-income Latin American setting.
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