***TASK***
the task is to simplify the input abstract of a biomedical literature

***INPUT***
the input is the abstract of a biomedical literature

***OUTPUT***
the output is the simplified abstract for the input abstract of a biomedical literature

***DOCUMENTATION***

***EXAMPLES***

Input: We found only one trial, which included 61 women, that met our inclusion criteria. This trial reported data on surgical versus clinical staging and an assessment of the two surgical staging techniques; laparoscopic (LAP) versus extraperitoneal (EXP) surgical staging. The clinical staging was either a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the abdomen and pelvis to determine nodal status. In this trial, clinical staging appeared to significantly prolong overall and progression-free survival compared to surgical staging. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of women who experienced severe (grade 3 or 4) toxicity. There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of death, disease recurrence or progression, blood loss, severe toxicity and the duration of the operational procedure between LAP and EXP surgical staging techniques. The strength of the evidence is weak in this review as it is based on one small trial that was at moderate risk of bias. Since the last version of this review no new studies were found. From the one available RCT we found insufficient evidence that pre-treatment surgical para-aortic lymph node assessment for locally advanced cervical cancer is beneficial, and it may actually have an adverse effect on survival. However, this conclusion is based on analysis of a small single trial and therefore definitive guidance or recommendations for clinical practice cannot be made. Therefore, the decision to offer surgical pre-treatment assessment of para-aortic lymph nodes in locally advanced cervical cancer needs to be individualised. The uncertainty regarding any impact on survival from pre-treatment para-aortic lymph node assessment should be discussed openly with the women.
Output:

The purpose of this review was to assess the available literature on the effectiveness and safety of pre-treatment surgical para-aortic lymph node assessment for locally advanced cervical cancer. We found only one randomised controlled trial (RCT) that assessed non-surgical staging versus surgical staging. We found limited evidence that suggested that clinical staging may offer a survival benefit (in terms of overall and progression-free survival) compared with surgical staging, but the strength of the evidence from this small trial is weak and the trial was at moderate risk of bias. There was no statistically significant difference in any of the reported outcomes between two surgical staging techniques examined in the trial. Due to the small number of women with locally advanced cervical cancer in only one included trial there was insufficient evidence to conclude that any of the staging techniques are superior to each other. This review highlights the need for future good-quality, well-designed trials that report not only survival and severe adverse event outcomes but also examine quality of life (QoL) outcome data.