Ng H T, Yuan C C, Kan Y Y, Ho E S, Yen M S, Chao K C
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, National Yang-Ming Medical College, Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Arch Gynecol Obstet. 1995;256(1):1-4. doi: 10.1007/BF00634340.
During the past twelve years, out of the 288 cervical cancer patients who had lymph node involvement, the recurrence rate in the lymph node, was 26.6% if one or two nodes were involved and 50.8% if three or more nodes were involved (P < 0.0001). The recurrence rate of patients who received eight intravenous treatments (at monthly intervals) of multi-agent chemotherapy was lower than those who did not receive treatment. Of patients with one or two positive lymph nodes, 114 received treatment while 50 did not; their respective recurrence rates were 19.3% and 42.0%, a statistically significant difference (P < 0.025). Of patients with three or more positive lymph nodes, 97 received treatment and 27 did not, their respective recurrence rates, were 46% and 66% (P = 0.30) and the difference is not statistically significant. It would seem that multi-agent chemotherapy may reduce the recurrence rate in patients with cancer of the cervix and positive lymph nodes.