The integration of chemotherapy into the management of locally advanced cervical cancer: a pilot study.

Chemotherapy has been traditionally reserved as a last-time treatment for cervical cancer patients and in this setting long-term remissions are unusual. Platinum-based combination chemotherapy has been associated with high tumor response rates in patients with advanced and metastatic cervical tumors and past experience encouraged evaluation of chemotherapy as a first-line treatment in patients with locally advanced tumors where there is a high likelihood of relapse with local treatment. Thirty patients were treated initially with three courses of cis-platinum, vinblastine, and bleomycin with an overall response rate of 67%, and then had either radiotherapy or surgical resection. The initial results have been encouraging and the integration of chemotherapy into the management of locally advanced cervical cancer warrants further investigation.