skip to main content

Cervical Cancer EFRT — SCE Medical Oncology MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

ModerateGynaecological CancersCervical Cancer EFRTSCE Medical Oncology

A 62-year-old woman with cervical cancer has para-aortic lymph node involvement detected on PET-CT (stage IIIC2). How does this affect the radiotherapy treatment plan compared with pelvic-only disease?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D — Extended-field radiotherapy (covering pelvic + para-aortic lymph nodes) with concurrent cisplatin — the radiation field must encompass all known disease

Para-aortic lymph node involvement in cervical cancer (stage IIIC2) requires extended-field radiotherapy (EFRT) to include both pelvic and para-aortic nodes (typically up to the renal vessels). Concurrent cisplatin chemoradiation is maintained. The EMBRACE study provides modern evidence for image-guided adaptive brachytherapy technique. EFRT increases toxicity (GI, haematological) compared with pelvic-only fields, but omitting the para-aortic field would leave known disease untreated.

Reference: NICE NG12 Cervical cancer; ESMO 2024 Cervical Cancer Guidelines; EMBRACE; Bhatla et al FIGO 2018