TMMR study shows success in cervical cancer treatment

In a comprehensive study recently published in the Lancet journal "eClinicalMedicine", researchers compared the effectiveness of TMMR directly with the conventional treatment strategy for the first time. The aim of the study was to analyze the recurrence rate and mortality rate after these two different surgical methods.

From 2011 to 2020, 1007 women with cervical cancer were included in the study. Prof. Bahriye Aktas, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Leipzig University Hospital, and Prof. Henrik Falconer from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm led the study.

• Survival rate: 91.2 percent of women treated with TMMR were tumor-free after five years, while this was only the case for 81.8 percent of women who received conventional therapy.
• Mortality risk: The risk of death was around 58 percent lower in the Leipzig cohort compared to the conventionally treated group.

Total Mesometrial Resection (TMMR) was developed over 20 years ago by Prof. Michael Höckel, the former director of the Leipzig University Women's Hospital. This method is based on the ontogenetic cancer field model, which derives tumor growth from the embryonic development of the original tissue. In TMMR, tissue structures with a high risk of cancer are removed, while adjacent, functionally important structures are spared.

A major advantage of TMMR is that this method eliminates the need for subsequent radiotherapy in up to half of the cases, which leads to a significant reduction in side effects.

"The findings confirm that our team in Leipzig is on the right track with cancer field surgery. The data now available will contribute further to the national and international dissemination of the principle and practice of cancer surgery developed in Leipzig and cure more patients with cervical carcinoma, but also with other gynaecological cancers," explained Prof. Bahriye Aktas.

The study shows that total mesometrial resection is a promising surgical technique in the treatment of cervical cancer. The results underline the potential of this method to lead to an improved quality of life and higher survival rates in affected patients.

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Leipzig University