Radiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for cervical carcinoma. A randomized multicenter study of sequential cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil and radiotherapy in advanced cervical carcinoma stage 3B and 4A.

BACKGROUND

The locoregional failure rate remains high in advanced cervical carcinoma. Chemotherapy (CT) was added to radiotherapy (RT) in order to increase disease control and to improve 5-year survival.

METHODS

CT + RT included cisplatin administered 100mg/m2, d.1 plus 5-fluorouracil 1000 mg/m2 D.1 to 5, ci (120 hrs), q every 3rd week for 3 cycles, followed by RT. RT included external beam irradiation 64.8 Gy in 1.8 Gy fractions, five days a week, by 4-field box technique. The median follow-up was 46 months. Ninety-four patients were evaluable for survival, 47 in the CT + RT group and 47 in the RT group. Ninety-two patients were evaluable for response. Known prognostic factors were equally distributed between the two groups.

RESULTS

Of the 43 patients evaluable before RT, 31 (72%) achieved a partial or complete response after CT alone. After RT, 52 patients attained a complete response, 25 in the CT + RT group and 27 in the RT-group. Sixty-three patients developed distant metastases or local relapse, 30 in the CT + RT group and 33 in the RT group. In the CT + RT group 6 of the 9 patients with metastases also had local progression at relapse, in the RT group, 7 of 17 patients. The survival rates for the two groups are not statistically different. Thirty-seven patients are alive, 29 have no evidence of disease. Fifty-seven have died, 29 in the CT + RT group and 28 in the RT group. Fifty-four deaths were related to cancer, and 3 to therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Sequential CT and RT did not improve the survival, local control, or metastasis rate compared with RT alone.