The main purpose of the study is to describe changes in plasma HPV DNA levels in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer during radical radiochemotherapy (CRT) and to correlate changes with response to treatment. Monitoring of the response to treatment will also be assessed in FDG PET CT imaging.

Ninety-five per cent of cervical cancer cases are caused by persistent infections with carcinogenic HPVs. Locally advanced stage IB2 to IVA cervical cancers are treated with definitive chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Despite known clinical prognostic factors of poor treatment outcome such as advanced stage and positive nodal status, we still don't know predictors of relapse.

HPV status will be assessed in the neoplastic tissue and DNA from the blood serum of patients with cervical cancer will be isolated and analyzed by real-time PCR. Plasma HPV DNA would identify patients with residual disease after CRT due to persistent detectable HPV. This would earlier detect high risk patients who would benefit from adjuvant therapy.

While metabolic response in post - therapy FDG PET CT is predictive of survival, there is usually 3 months waiting period time needed to perform this imaging. This pilot study will provide preliminary estimates of the correlation between plasma HPV DNA level, PET finding and clinical outcome in polish cervical cancer patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

Age Limits: more than 18Y Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma, FIGO stage IB-IVA planned for radical radiochemotherapy Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0,1,2

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who have received any anticancer treatment for their cervical cancer. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status > 2 Other cervical cancer tumor histologies (e.g. small cell, serous) Contraindications to 18FDG PET-CT Contraindication to radiochemotherapy Known pregnancy or lactating