Using existing drugs to treat cervical cancer before standard treatment could lead to a 35% reduction in the risk of relapse or death, a new study suggests. Researchers from the UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH looked into whether a short course of induction chemotherapy (IC), where a drug is used to destroy as many cancer cells as possible, before chemoradiation (CRT), could help with this. Here’s everything you need to know about the findings… What is cervical cancer? According to the NHS website, cervical cancer is a type of cancer found anywhere near the cervix – the opening between the vagina and the womb (uterus), which is also known as the neck of the womb. Most cervical cancers grow very slowly and are caused by an infection from specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and mostly affect women under the age of 45. According to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, symptoms include vaginal bleeding that is unusual to you, changes to vaginal discharge, discomfort during sex and pain in your lower back or pelvis. Changes to cells can be spotted by a cervical screening, and then treated before they turn into cancer. There are around 3,200 new cases every year in the UK, with the five-year survival rate being around 70%, according to Cancer Research UK. CRT has been the standard treatment for cervical cancer patients since 1999, but even though there have been overall significant developments in radiation therapy techniques, up to 30% of people experience their cancer coming back. What did the research involve? Over a 10-year period, 500 patients who had been diagnosed with cervical cancer – that was large enough to see without a microscope but hadn’t spread to other parts of the body – took part in the Interlace trial at hospitals in the UK, Mexico, India, Italy and Brazil. Researchers looked into whether a short course of IC before CRT could reduce rates of relapse and death. What results were found? After five years, researchers discovered that 80% of the people who received a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy were alive, whilst 73% had not seen their cancer return or spread. A major benefit, according to researchers, is that it can be incorporated into standard of care treatment relatively quickly, because cheap, accessible and already-approved ingredients such as carboplatin and paclitaxel are needed for IC. “Our trial shows that this short course of additional chemotherapy delivered immediately before the standard CRT can reduce the risk of the cancer returning or death by 35%,” said Dr Mary McCormack, lead investigator of the trial from UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH. “This is the biggest improvement in outcome in this disease in over 20 years. “I’m incredibly proud of all the patients who participated in the trial; their contribution has allowed us to gather the evidence needed to improve treatment of cervical cancer patients everywhere. “We couldn’t have done this without the generous support of Cancer Research UK.” Why is the research important? Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “Timing is everything when you’re treating cancer. The simple act of adding induction chemotherapy to the start of chemoradiation treatment for cervical cancer has delivered remarkable results in this trial. “A growing body of evidence is showing the value of additional rounds of chemotherapy before other treatments like surgery and radiotherapy in several other cancers. “Not only can it reduce the chances of cancer coming back, it can be delivered quickly using drugs already available worldwide. “We’re excited for the improvements this trial could bring to cervical cancer treatment and hope short courses of induction chemotherapy will be rapidly adopted in the clinic.”

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Social media platform TikTok is being used by incels to spread their “hateful beliefs” against women, according to a new study. Previous research has suggested that incels – men who are involuntary celibates – were mainly restricted to niche men’s forums. But researchers from the University of Portsmouth have found “prominent” incel accounts on video-sharing site TikTok. Incels have been linked to violent attacks including the shooting by Jake Davison of five people in Plymouth in 2021 and an attack in Toronto, Canada, in which self-described incel Alek Minassian drove a van into a crowd killing 11 people in 2018. Lead author Anda Solea, of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Portsmouth, said: “It is a common belief that incels are an underground community, removed from beloved and popular platforms such as TikTok. Mainstream platforms like TikTok have stricter moderation policies but are not immune to incel influence Dr Lisa Sugiura “Our study demonstrates that incel ideology is also present, popularised and thriving on TikTok.” The study found that incel ideology was being spread in a manner of styles including through the use of pseudo-scientific appeals. These use fake and misinterpreted graphs, surveys and information often based on evolutionary psychology and biological determinism to “expose the supposed true nature of women”. Other methods include emotional appeals which employ repurposed viral internet media, including TV clips and memes, depicting unattractive men’s humiliation and suffering at the hands of women to portray men as victims and evoke empathy. The study suggests that the language used is soft and implicit enough to escape content moderation but harmful enough to “perpetuate hateful beliefs” while linking with broader sexism and structural misogyny. Study co-author Dr Lisa Sugiura, associate professor in cybercrime and gender at the University of Portsmouth, said: “These clever subtle approaches aim to resonate with broader audiences, including those who might be unfamiliar with the intricacies of incel ideology. “They present a challenge to policymakers and a real danger to women. As TikTok gains popularity, more needs to be done to understand the growing incel activity on the platform.” Ms Solea said: “Incels consider themselves unable to attain romantic relationships due to societal hierarchies based on looks, money and status, where women wield power. “They have been linked to gendered hate speech and violence against women, making them an increasing security concern. “However, research has often oversimplified incels, overlooking their diversity across different online platforms. “Mainstream platforms like TikTok have stricter moderation policies but are not immune to incel influence. “This study aims to understand how incels adapt their ideology to mainstream platforms and how they influence and are influenced by mainstream discourse.” TikTok has been approached for comment.

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