Bleomycin-adriamycin-cisplatin combination chemotherapy in the treatment of primary advanced and recurrent cervical carcinoma.

A chemotherapeutic combination of bleomycin-adriamycin-cisplatin has been used to treat 21 consecutive patients with primary advanced or recurrent cervical carcinomas. Four complete (19.0%) and four partial remissions were recorded. The responding patients had significantly longer survival levels compared with the remaining 13 with stable disease. No patient had progressive disease during treatment. The median survival of the complete series was 9.2 months. The objective response rate was 14.3% for tumors within previously irradiated pelvic tissues but 100% (75.0% complete remissions) for distant metastases. Anemia, anorexia, and progressive weakness were troublesome side effects, however, and they seriously limited the clinical usefulness of this bleomycin-adriamycin-cisplatin regimen in the treatment of primary advanced and recurrent cervical carcinomas.