A phase III randomized study of misonidazole plus radiation vs. radiation alone for cervix cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A randomized-controlled study of radical radiotherapy for cervical cancer with or without the hypoxic sensitizer, misonidazole was conducted from 1981 to 1984 to investigate its therapeutic benefit.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seventy-three patients were accrued from the Princess Margaret Hospital, and St John Regional Cancer Centre and randomized to either misonidazole (MISO, n = 39) or placebo (P, n = 34) in addition to radiotherapy. MISO was given orally each day 4 h prior to external beam radiation treatment (45Gy to midplane in 20 daily fractions) at a dose of 0.45 g/m(2), as well as during intra-uterine brachytherapy (40Gy).

RESULTS

The 10-year overall survival (OS) for the entire group was 46%, and the disease-free survival (DFS) was 39%. The 10-year OS for patients in the MISO arm was 45%, compared to 49% for the P arm (P = 0.89). The corresponding DFS figures were 36 and 43%, respectively, (P = 0.6). Ten patients (14%) developed severe late complications (grade 3 or 4). The 10-year serious late complication rate was 14% for MISO and 12% for P (P = 0.51).

CONCLUSIONS

Misonidazole failed to improve the outcome of patients with cervix cancer treated with radiotherapy.