Continuous infusion of low-dose 5-fluorouracil and radiation therapy for poor-prognosis squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.
Ten patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix metastatic to periaortic lymph nodes were treated with external-beam radiation therapy and synchronous infusion of intravenous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy at doses of 350 mg/m2/day. The overall response rate was 90% with four complete responses (CR) and five partial responses (PR). The median duration of response was 11.8 months for CRs and 3.6 months for PRs. Toxicity was tolerable, with gastrointestinal symptoms and myelosuppression being noted most frequently. No patient experienced life-threatening toxicity. Median survival was 7.6 months, with only one patient being alive and free of disease at 2 years. In this pilot study we were unable to demonstrate a beneficial effect of continuous infusion of low doses of 5-FU chemotherapy concurrent with radiation therapy when compared to conventional radiotherapy in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.
Drescher
C W
CW
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109.
Reid
G C
GC
Terada
K
K
Roberts
J A
JA
Hopkins
M P
MP
Perez-Tamayo
C
C
Schoeppel
S L
SL
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D016019:Survival Analysis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*
D005472:Fluorouracil