Mitomycin C, vincristine, and bleomycin therapy for advanced cervical cancer.

The Southwest Oncology Group has treated 130 patients with advanced disseminated uterine cervical carcinoma no longer amenable to therapy with further radiation or surgery. Patients received one of three different schedules of mitomycin C, vincristine and bleomycin. A twice weekly schedule of bleomycin and vincristine produced response in 60% of patients. An infusion bleomycin schedule produced response in 39% of patients and a once weekly vincristine bleomycin schedule produced a 25% response rate (45% overall). Responding patients lived significantly longer than nonresponders (30 vs 18 weeks). Toxicities encountered included leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, peripheral neuropathy, gastrointestinal upset, dermatitis, and alopecia. We believe two of the schedules utilized represent an improvement in producing tumor remission induction in this previously recognized refractory carcinoma.