Is Moderately Hypofractionated Radiotherapy a Safe and Effective Strategy for Cervical Cancer?—A Review of Current Evidence
Cervical cancer (CC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), despite advancements in HPV vaccination and screening. Radiotherapy (RT) plays a critical role in managing CC, but conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) is limited by long treatment durations, which reduce patient adherence, increase the risk of treatment interruptions, and impair healthcare access in LMICs. Moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (MHRT) may offer a promising alternative, delivering higher doses per fraction with fewer total fractions, thus shortening treatment duration and alleviating the burden on both patients and healthcare systems. Early clinical data suggest that MHRT achieve acceptable short- to medium-term tumor control with manageable toxicity. However, the small sample sizes and limited follow-up in published studies preclude definitive conclusions about long-term efficacy and safety. This review synthesizes the existing clinical evidence to outline the potential benefits and inherent limitations of MHRT in CC management and highlight the need for future large-scale, long-term randomized controlled trials with rigorous quality assurance protocols. These findings also have implications for the potential implementation of MHRT in LMICs.
