Future directions in cervical cancer treatment

Abstract

Immunotherapy has been a breakthrough in the treatment of several cancers with limited adverse effects compared to other therapies. Patients have experienced remission with undetectable cancers for an impressive number of years. However, the success rate is only observed in about 15%–20% of cases indicating that there is still a tremendous need for targeted therapies that are efficient in all cancers with limited or no adverse effects. The combination of immunotherapy with the existing chemotherapeutic regimens has shown improvement in several other cancers, but resistance is still a hindering factor. Thus, the application of nanomedicine, computational oncology, artificial intelligence (AI), and molecularly targeted therapies with the consideration of indigenous knowledge are reshaping the future development of cancer therapies. Together, these oncotherapeutic modalities could reshape cancer-preventative strategies, improve precision oncology, and decipher drug resistance. They offer the ability to deliver specific drugs/compounds to a specific location and ensure their efficaciousness whilst protecting the surrounding tissue. This effect takes place even in events where multiple therapeutic approaches are employed. Thus, the future of cancer therapies particularly that of the most common cancers such as cervical cancer is promising. Continual improvement of the golden standards of therapy such as radiotherapy with technologies that can detect and treat cancer simultaneously can potentially improve patient care and clinical outcomes.