Screening, Prevention, and Intervention on Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

In observance of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in January, host Brandon Mancini, MD, MBA, FACRO, convened with Melissa Wylie Brackmann, MD, to highlight various advancements in cervical cancer prevention and treatment as well as critical takeaways for elevating the quality of patient care. The experts touched upon advancements in screening, preventative vaccination, surgical and systemic modalities, and other key areas in the field.

Brackmann began by noting how cervical cancer may take a long time to develop, and that detecting high-risk pre-cancers through screening may help prevent the formation of more advanced diseases. Given cervical cancer’s association with HPV infections, the discussion also focused on the role that HPV vaccination can play in limiting the risk of cervical cancer.

According to Brackmann, other potential advancements in the cervical cancer space pertain to targeted therapies, which include immunotherapeutic agents like pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and antibody drug conjugates like tisotumab vedotin-tftv (Tivdak). The experts also spoke about considerations for counseling patients on the safety of radiation and surgical modalities like hysterectomy while balancing realism with hope when developing a personalized treatment plan. Brackmann concluded by emphasizing the importance of patients undergoing screening for potential disease and seeking resources related to other preventative strategies.

“There is a tremendous amount of hope, in the community and amongst [gynecologic] oncologists, for this cancer to be better treated and better managed,” Brackmann stated during the discussion. “[It] is often curable in early stages [while] having less long-term [adverse] effects from our chemotherapies, our radiations, and our surgeries.”

Mancini is director at Bold Advanced Medical Future Health, clinical associate professor in the Department of Radiology at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, and editor-at-large for the RadOnc Review, a supplement of the journal ONCOLOGY^®. Brackmann is an assistant professor of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School.