Neoadjuvant intraarterial chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy and/or radiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVES

We assessed neoadjuvant intraarterial chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical hysterectomy and/or radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

METHODS

Over 5 years, 48 consecutive women with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIb-IVa cervical cancer were enrolled. Treatment consisted of bilateral internal iliac artery infusion of cisplatin (100 mg/m2, day 1) or carboplatin (400 mg/m2, day 1) and peplomycin (20 mg/m2, day 1) for two courses separated by 3 weeks. Doxorubicin (30 mg/m2, day 1) was added for patients with adenocarcinoma. Stage III patients who responded to NAC and Stage IIb patients underwent radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Stage III patients not responding to NAC and all stage IVa patients were treated with pelvic radiotherapy.

RESULTS

Complete response was achieved in 5 (10.4%) of 48 patients, while a partial response was noted in 32 (66. 7%) and stable disease in 11 (22.9%). Of 25 patients with stage IIIb disease, 16 (64.0%) were able to undergo surgery. The 4-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 80.0% in patients with stage IIb and 62.3% in patients with stage III. In stage IIIb, the 4-year DFS in patients receiving surgery (75.2%) was higher than the DFS for those receiving radiotherapy (44.4%) (P < 0.05). Grade 3 or 4 leukopenia developed in 17 (35.4%) patients. Nausea and vomiting of grade 2 or higher occurred in 34 (70.8%). Creatinine clearance transiently decreased (>/= grade 2) in 16.6%. Patients negative for serum squamous cell carcinoma-associated antigen (SCC) responded better to NAC than to SCC-positive cases, and SCC-negative survival was significantly better than SCC-positive survival (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Neoadjuvant intraarterial chemotherapy with platinum was safely performed, and a survival benefit followed radical surgery with or without radiotherapy after response to NAC.