Surreal illustration symbolizing the journey through cancer treatment with GPS milestones.

Decoding Cervical Cancer Recurrence: Can a Simple Blood Test Predict Your Survival?

Jordan Keane in Health & Wellness November 2025 • 4 min read.

"The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) offers new insights into predicting post-relapse survival in recurrent cervical cancer, empowering patients and doctors with crucial information."

Cervical cancer, while increasingly manageable with screening programs, remains a significant health challenge for women worldwide. Despite advancements in treatment, a considerable number of patients experience a relapse, highlighting the critical need for effective strategies for managing recurrent cervical cancer.

When cervical cancer returns after initial treatment, oncologists face the complex task of predicting how well patients will respond to further interventions. This prediction, known as post-relapse survival (PRS), is crucial for tailoring treatment plans and providing realistic expectations. Identifying factors that influence PRS can lead to more personalized and effective care.

Recent research has focused on the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) as a tool for predicting PRS. GPS, derived from simple blood tests measuring C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin levels, reflects the body's inflammatory and nutritional status. By understanding how GPS and other clinical factors affect survival after relapse, patients and their healthcare providers can make more informed decisions.

What is the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) and How Does It Predict Survival?

Surreal illustration symbolizing the journey through cancer treatment with GPS milestones.

The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) is an inflammation-based scoring system that uses two key markers found in a standard blood test: C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin. CRP is an indicator of inflammation in the body, while albumin reflects nutritional status. These markers are crucial because chronic inflammation and poor nutrition are often linked to cancer progression and can significantly impact treatment outcomes.

Here’s how GPS works:

GPS = 0: Normal CRP and albumin levels.
GPS = 1: One abnormal value (either elevated CRP or low albumin).
GPS = 2: Both elevated CRP and low albumin.

A higher GPS, particularly a score of 2, indicates a greater degree of inflammation and malnutrition, which is associated with poorer outcomes in various cancers, including cervical cancer. The GPS helps healthcare professionals stratify patients into different risk groups, allowing for more tailored treatment strategies and better-informed discussions about prognosis.

Empowering Patients with Knowledge

The insights from studies on the Glasgow Prognostic Score offer a promising avenue for improving the management of recurrent cervical cancer. By integrating GPS into clinical practice, healthcare providers can better assess a patient's risk and tailor treatment plans accordingly. This personalized approach, combined with ongoing research and patient education, is essential for enhancing outcomes and quality of life for women facing this challenging diagnosis.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1007/s00404-018-4993-0, Alternate LINK

Title: Factors Associated With Post-Relapse Survival In Patients With Recurrent Cervical Cancer: The Value Of The Inflammation-Based Glasgow Prognostic Score

Subject: Obstetrics and Gynecology

Journal: Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Veronika Seebacher, Alina Sturdza, Birgit Bergmeister, Stephan Polterauer, Christoph Grimm, Alexander Reinthaller, Ziad Hilal, Stefanie Aust

Published: 2018-12-10

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly is the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), and how is it determined?

The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) is a scoring system used to predict survival in patients with recurrent cervical cancer. It's determined using a standard blood test that measures two key markers: C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin. CRP indicates inflammation, while albumin reflects nutritional status. The GPS assigns a score based on these levels: 0 for normal CRP and albumin, 1 for one abnormal value, and 2 for both elevated CRP and low albumin. A higher GPS often indicates poorer outcomes due to increased inflammation and malnutrition.

How does the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) help oncologists in managing recurrent cervical cancer?

The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) assists oncologists by providing a tool to predict post-relapse survival (PRS). By assessing a patient's GPS, oncologists can stratify patients into different risk groups. A higher GPS score, reflecting greater inflammation and poor nutritional status, is often associated with poorer outcomes. This information enables doctors to tailor treatment plans, provide realistic expectations, and make more informed decisions about the best course of action for each patient.

What do the CRP and albumin levels, used in the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), tell us about the body during cancer recurrence?

The CRP and albumin levels in the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) offer insights into the body's inflammatory and nutritional status during cancer recurrence. Elevated CRP suggests increased inflammation, which can promote cancer progression and hinder treatment effectiveness. Low albumin indicates poor nutritional status, often associated with cancer-related cachexia and reduced ability to withstand treatments. Together, these markers help assess a patient's overall health and predict how they might respond to further interventions.

Can you explain the relationship between the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) and post-relapse survival (PRS) in cervical cancer?

The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) is directly related to post-relapse survival (PRS) in cervical cancer. Research indicates that a higher GPS, particularly a score of 2 (indicating both elevated CRP and low albumin), is associated with poorer PRS. This means patients with higher GPS scores tend to have shorter survival times after their cancer returns. By understanding this relationship, healthcare providers can use GPS to predict PRS, allowing for more personalized treatment strategies and better-informed discussions with patients about their prognosis. The GPS helps to stratify patients into risk groups.

How can the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) improve the quality of life for women with recurrent cervical cancer?

The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) can improve the quality of life for women with recurrent cervical cancer by enabling more personalized and effective care. By using GPS to predict post-relapse survival (PRS), healthcare providers can tailor treatment plans to better suit each patient's needs. This personalized approach can help manage expectations, reduce the burden of ineffective treatments, and focus on supportive care to improve the patient's overall well-being. Additionally, GPS facilitates more informed discussions between patients and their healthcare teams, empowering patients to make choices aligned with their values and preferences.