The therapeutic potential of vaginal drug delivery in the treatment of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is usually treated by surgery, with the more advanced cancers requiring adjuvant chemo or radiotherapy. Its location makes it easily accessible through the vagina for the localized delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. Localized delivery has the advantage of direct delivery to the site of action resulting in a lower dose being required and a reduction in systemic side effects. This approach would be advantageous in fertility-sparing surgery, where by localized delivery could be used to reduce tumor size allowing for a much smaller tumor to be removed, reducing the risk of preterm birth. Furthermore, localized delivery could be used after surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence, which is significantly higher in fertility-sparing surgery compared with standard surgery.