# Covid-19-related cervical cancer treatment interruption and role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $136,011

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
This application is being submitted in response to the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) identified as NOT-
CA-21-033.
Curative therapy for locally advanced cervical cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in southern Africa,
requires chemoradiation. In nearly all countries in southern Africa, including Botswana, radiotherapy is
only available from a single center, creating substantial vulnerability. Similar to several other countries, the
radiotherapy unit in Botswana experienced prolonged downtimes due to Covid-19-related border
restrictions preventing routine service and repair. The clinical impact of delayed treatment of cervical cancer
is poorly understood and the use of `temporizing' chemotherapy to mitigate adverse effects of delays is
sparsely studied. With the goal of informing resilient and ready mitigation strategies for periods of
epidemic, armed conflict, political uprising, and environmental crises we utilize prospective data collected in
the Thabatse cancer cohort (2010 to present, n=4950) to estimate the duration of treatment delay
associated with cervical cancer stage progression and whether neoadjuvant therapy may preserve the option
for curative therapy during periods of prolonged health system disruption. Analyses will utilize the
instrumental variable methods and two natural experiments: unexpected loss of radiation therapy in
Botswana (current Covid-19 pandemic and two prior periods) and the decision by Botswana clinicians to
provide `temporizing' chemotherapy during lack of access to radiation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10381101
- **Project number:** 3R01CA236546-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Scott Dryden-Peterson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $136,011
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-09-19 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10381101

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10381101, Covid-19-related cervical cancer treatment interruption and role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (3R01CA236546-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10381101. Licensed CC0.

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