Current Research

Research for cervical cancer is ongoing. The following advances may still be under investigation in clinical trials and may not be approved or available at this time. Always discuss all diagnostic and treatment options with your doctor.

Improved detection and screening methods. Because cervical cancer is highly treatable when detected early, researchers are developing better ways to detect cervical cancer. For example, fluorescent spectroscopy is the use of fluorescent light to detect changes in precancerous cervix cells.

Improved Pap test methods. These improvements have made it easier for doctors to find cancerous cells. Traditional Pap tests can be hard to read, because cells can be dried out, be covered with mucus or blood, or clump together on the slide.

• The liquid-based cytology test (often referred to as ThinPrep or SurePath) transfers a thin layer of cells onto a slide after removing blood or mucus from the sample. Because the sample is preserved, other tests (such as the HPV test mentioned in the Prevention section) can be done at the same time.
  
  
• Computer screening (often called AutoPap or Focal Point) uses a computer to scan the sample for abnormal cells.

Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy) is designed to boost the body’s natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses materials either made by the body or in a laboratory to bolster, target, or restore immune system function. For women who already have cervical cancer, a therapeutic vaccine is being developed. These vaccines help "train" the immune system to recognize cervical cancer cells and destroy them.

Fertility-preserving surgery. There is continued interest in refining the surgical techniques and finding out which patients with cervical cancer can be treated successfully without loss of fertility.

Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy is a treatment that targets faulty genes or proteins that contribute to cancer growth and development. Drugs called anti-angiogenesis inhibitors that block the action of a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are being tested for women with cervical cancer. VEGF promotes angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels), which is necessary for tumor growth and metastasis.

Combination therapy. Some clinical trials are exploring various combinations of immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.