Despite significant progress in prevention and screening, cervical cancer continues to pose a major global public health challenge, with surgical intervention remaining central to the clinical management of early-stage disease. However, conventional surgical approaches are frequently associated with substantial postoperative complications that adversely affect patients' quality of life. This unmet clinical challenge has prompted extensive re-evaluations and innovations in surgical strategies worldwide over the past decade. This narrative review synthesizes high-quality evidence from landmark global clinical studies that support international guidelines and comprehensively summarizes and synthesizes pivotal insights from Chinese research teams, including data from domestic trials, real-world clinical practice, and novel technical developments. This review focuses on three principal directions for surgical optimization in early-stage cervical cancer: minimization of surgical trauma, individualization of the surgical resection range, and precision of lymph node assessment. Furthermore, we highlight the important complementary role of Chinese research in validating global surgical strategies in local populations, extending their application to subgroups, and refining technical adaptations to meet diverse patient needs. The limitations of the current research and the anticipated value of ongoing global and Chinese-led clinical trials are also discussed, as these are expected to further refine the diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms for early-stage cervical cancer. By integrating global evidence with the valuable contributions of Chinese researchers, this review aims to provide a comprehensive and integrated perspective on patient-centered surgical care; offer insights for the development of more precise, minimally invasive, and individualized surgical strategies; and ultimately contribute to improving the cure rates and outcomes for patients worldwide.
KW - Early-stage cervical cancer KW - surgical optimization KW - individualized treatment KW - sentinel lymph node biopsy DO - 10.20517/2394-4722.2026.14 UR - https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-4722.2026.14