Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This research is principally dedicated to exploring the therapeutic outcomes of integrating surgical intervention with chemoradiotherapy in patients diagnosed with stage IIIC cervical cancer (CC). METHODS: A cohort of 141 patients with stage IIIC CC admitted to Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital were enrolled. Among them, 47 patients underwent radical chemoradiotherapy alone (control group), while 94 patients received surgical intervention in addition to radical chemoradiotherapy (research group). Treatment outcomes were comprehensively evaluated, including short-term therapeutic response, safety profiles, radiotherapy-related complications, long-term treatment efficacy - measured by progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and quality of life (QOL). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of long-term treatment outcomes. RESULTS: The research group exhibited significantly superior short-term efficacy compared to the control group. Additionally, the research group showed a notably lower rate of treatment-associated adverse events, but radiotherapy-induced complications occurred at a similar frequency as in the control group. Long-term outcomes, including PFS, OS, and QOL scores, were also significantly better in the research group. Both univariate and multivariate analyses identified body mass index (BMI) and treatment modality as independent prognostic factors for long-term outcomes in patients with stage IIIC CC. CONCLUSIONS: The integration of surgical intervention with radical chemoradiotherapy yields superior therapeutic outcomes compared to chemoradiotherapy alone in the management of stage IIIC cervical cancer, highlighting its potential as a more effective treatment strategy.