Clinical practice guideline for the staging and treatment of early-stage cervical cancer

Introduction. This article summarizes the clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the staging and treatment of early-stage cervical cancer. Objective. To provide evidence-based recommendations for healthcare professionals on the staging and therapeutic management of early-stage cervical cancer. Methods. A guideline development group (GDG) was formed, composed of clinical specialists and methodologists, who formulated priority clinical questions in PICO format. Systematic searches of systematic reviews and, when deemed pertinent, of primary studies were conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase between January 2024 and February 2025. The selected evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology to determine its certainty. In deliberative sessions, the GDG used GRADE to analyze the evidence and develop the recommendations, good clinical practice points, and flowcharts. The CPG was approved by Directoral Resolution No. 004-2025-CETS/ INS. Results. The guideline addressed 7 clinical questions and generated 5 conditional recommendations, 9 good clinical practice statements, and 3 flowcharts. The recommendations issued consider that, for women with cervical cancer and clinically localized disease who require assessment of parametrial and nodal involvement, the use of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is suggested. In addition, for women with cervical cancer stages IA1 (with lymphovascular space invasion) to IB2 and IIA1, sentinel lymph node biopsy is suggested to determine nodal involvement. Conclusion. Evidence-based recommendations and good clinical practice points were issued for the staging and treatment of early-stage cervical cancer.