Johns Hopkins faculty member and world-renowned leader in gynecologic cancer surgery, Amanda Nickles Fader, M.D., is available to provide an outside medical opinion on the findings of two papers published Oct. 31 in the New England Journal of Medicine that raise questions and prompt new recommendations on minimally invasive radical hysterectomies for cervical cancer.

Amanda Nickles Fader, M.D. Credit: Johns Hopkins Medicine

Radical hysterectomy is the primary treatment with the most impact on survival for early-stage cervical cancer. While hysterectomy procedures have historically been performed through large, open abdominal incisions, recently surgeons began using minimally invasive techniques to reduce surgical complications. However, in an editorial written by Fader, also published Oct. 31 in NEJM, she explains how the two new studies, published by reseachers outside Johns Hopkins, provide evidence of higher rates of disease recurrence and worse survival in women who had minimally invasive radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer than those who had open hysterectomy.

“This data is alarming and somewhat unexpected, and highlights the importance of randomized controlled trials in advancing our understanding of how to best treat women with gynecologic cancers,” says Fader.

Fader’s expertise includes radical gynecologic cancer surgery, quality and patient safety in gynecologic surgery, and cancer clinical trials. She is an associate professor in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics and director of the Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service and the Center for Rare Gynecologic Cancers at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

A 2018 GLOBOCAN status report ranks cervical cancer as the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in women, globally.

Please let us know if you would like a copy of the editorial or would like to speak with Fader.