[Uterine cervix cancer. Clinical stage III. Combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment]. / Cáncer cervicouterino. Etapa clínica III. Tratamiento combinado de radioterapia y quimioterapia.

55 patients with stage III carcinoma of the uterine cervix were entered into a prospective randomized study to evaluate the possible radiation-potentiating properties of bleomycin. Group A received classical radiation treatment with telecobalt-therapy 50 Gy/25 fractions plus 32 Gy/4 fractions (Cathetron). The other two groups received 15 mg of bleomycin by continue infusion two time of week during 5 week, groups B before, and group C after, irradiation. The morbidity was minimal. The initial response was complete in 49 cases and partial in 6 cases. At 2 years there were 26 recurrences, 22 (88.8%), locoregional recurrences and 4 distant metastasis, 3 in the group of bleomycin treatment. The probability of actuarial survival was 62.1%, 30.1% and 35.6% respectively to groups A, B and C. Addition of bleomycin to radiotherapy failed to increase the recurrence-free survival.

Phase II trial of carboplatin or iproplatin in cervical cancer.

From July 1984 to November 1987, 89 patients with recurrent measurable squamous-cell cancer of the uterine cervix were randomized in a single institution to receive treatment with either carboplatin (CBDCA) or iproplatin (CHIP). Objective response rates were similar: 2 complete regressions (CRs) and 10 partial regressions (PRs) were recorded both in the 46 evaluable patients treated with CBDCA (response rate, 26.1%; 95% confidence interval, 15-41%) and in the 40 evaluable patients treated with CHIP (response rate, 30%; 95% confidence interval, 17-47%). The median duration of response was 5.5 months for CBDCA and 6 months for CHIP; the median survival was 7.5 and 7.6 months, respectively. Both drugs were given in an outpatient setting and myelosuppression (thrombocytopenia) was the predominant toxicity. Analysis of all toxic events yielded additional interesting observations: the occurrence of moderate to severe platelet nadirs beyond cycle 1 was confined to CHIP, a higher incidence of gastrointestinal toxicity during treatment with CHIP, and five moderate to severe complaints of asthenia (recorded as neurologic events) during CHIP therapy versus only one during treatment with CBDCA. Because of its antitumor activity and its toxicologic advantage, a future role for CBDCA in the treatment of cervical cancer appears likely.

Activity of mitolactol in cancer of the uterine cervix.

Antitumor activity has been documented in this pilot study utilizing mitolactol in patients with advanced carcinoma of the cervix. These results may in part be explained by optimal patient selection; however, the results do encourage further testing of this hexitol in this disease.