Carboplatin as a Radiation Sensitizer in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: A Pilot Study

• Published in: Gynecologic oncology 1997-05, Vol.65 (2), p.336-342
• Main Authors: Muderspach, Laila I., Curtin, John P., Roman, Lynda D., Gebhardt, Judith A., Klement, Vaclav, Qian, Dajun, Morrow, C.Paul, Felix, Juan C., Formenti, Silvia C., Muggia, Franco M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Carboplatin - therapeutic use; Combined Modality Therapy; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Female genital diseases; Follow-Up Studies; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Pilot Projects; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents - therapeutic use; Survival Rate; Tumors; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - drug therapy; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - mortality; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - pathology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - radiotherapy
• ISSN: 0090-8258; 1095-6859
• DOI: 10.1006/gyno.1997.4647

Radiation therapy is the mainstay in treatment of locally advanced cervical carcinoma. Several chemotherapeutic agents have been used as radiation sensitizers in the treatment of cervical cancer in an effort to improve local response and survival. A prospective study was designed to evaluate carboplatin as a radiosensitizer in advanced cervical cancer. Standard radiotherapy techniques were used to treat patients with Stage IIA–IIIB cervical cancer. Intravenous carboplatin was administered twice weekly concurrent with external beam radiation. Of 22 evaluable patients, there were 19 complete responders of whom 15 remain alive: 11 patients were alive and disease free at last visit for a median duration of 15 months follow-up (range, 4–43 months) and 4 patients remain alive with disease for a median duration of 17 months (range, 3–55 months). Seven have died, one of whom was without evidence of disease. There were no treatment-related deaths and no grade 4 toxicity. The most significant adverse effect was hematologic resulting in four patients with grade 3 neutropenia or anemia. There were no fistulae or late gastrointestinal or genitourinary complications. This pilot study suggests that carboplatin administered with standard radiation is safe, well-tolerated, and thus may be useful as a radiation sensitizer in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer.