GCIG INTERLACE
In locally advanced cervical cancer, does short-course induction chemotherapy before chemoradiotherapy improve survival?
One underlying study; aliases and follow-up reports consolidated. Primary discipline: Medical.
500 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer planned for definitive chemoradiotherapy.
Patients fit for induction chemotherapy and definitive chemoradiotherapy; not evidence for metastatic disease or patients unable to tolerate the regimen.
500 randomised/evaluable as reported.
Six weekly cycles of carboplatin AUC 2 plus paclitaxel 80 mg/m², followed by standard cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy and brachytherapy.
Standard cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy and brachytherapy alone.
Endpoints and results
Co-primary endpoints: PFS and OS; recurrence and toxicity were also assessed.
- 5-year PFS 72% vs 64%; HR 0.65 (95% CI 0.46–0.91), p=0.013.
- 5-year OS 80% vs 72%; HR 0.60 (95% CI 0.40–0.91), p=0.015.
- Grade ≥3 adverse events 59% vs 48%.
Absolute Effect and outcome visualisation
5-year OS
% alive at 5 years · 5 years. Bars show reported fixed-time percentages.
Interpretation: Approximate landmark NNT 13 at 5 years to prevent one death, calculated from 80% vs 72% survival rates. Rounded Kaplan–Meier estimates mean this is approximate.
Toxicity, discontinuation and quality of life
Trial-specific harms: Grade ≥3 adverse events 59% vs 48%; induction adds acute toxicity and six weekly treatment visits before definitive treatment.
Treatment burden/discontinuation: Protect timely delivery and completion of chemoradiotherapy and brachytherapy; verify exact completion/discontinuation rates from full tables.
Quality of life: No comparative QoL estimate is reproduced here; do not infer one.
Subgroups, maturity and limitations
Subgroups: Avoid claims of subgroup-specific benefit unless supported by prespecified interaction analyses.
Maturity: Five-year PFS and OS reported.
Limitations: Open-label sequencing trial; induction is useful only if definitive local therapy remains deliverable. NNT is a landmark estimate.
INTERLACE supports induction chemotherapy followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy in selected locally advanced cervical cancer, with survival improvement but more grade ≥3 toxicity.
Current-practice context must be checked against regional guidelines, patient fitness, biomarkers, alternatives and regulatory status before clinical application. Clinical freshness review and browser-rendered QA remain pending.
Primary sources and registry
Registry: NCT01566240
The Absolute Effect · Updated 26 October 2026 · Never derive NNT from median survival.