Improving Survival in Cervical Cancer Patients

In other words, the surgery has led to the detection of patients with microscopic, positive cancer who are no longer included in the lymph node-negative subgroup.

If this is the correct interpretation, then the procedure is helpful as a diagnostic strategy, but the performance of the surgery itself is not the reason for the improved outcome.

Only a well-designed and well-conducted, phase III, randomized trial can appropriately address and answer this important and clinically relevant issue.

MAURIE MARKMAN, M.D., is the vice president of clinical research at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.

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