title: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer: long-term outcome and complications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the efficacy and feasibility of preoperative chemoradiotherapy in a consecutive series of 100 locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between October 1997 and December 2004, 100 LACC patients were consecutively staged and treated at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome. Radiotherapy was administered to the whole pelvic region (1.8 Gy/day, totaling 39.6 Gy) in combination with cisplatin (20 mg/m(2)) and 5-FU (1000 mg/m(2)) (both on days 1-4 and 27-30). Radical surgery was performed 5-6 weeks after the end of the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A clinical complete or partial response was observed in 96 patients (56 and 40, respectively). Radical surgery was performed in 95 patients and an overall complication rate of 12.6% was observed in the early postoperative time. At pathological examination, 43 of 95 patients (45.2%) undergoing radical surgery showed complete response to treatment, 28 patients (29.5%) only had a microscopic disease, 18 patients (19%) had a partial response and 6 (6.3%) had no change of disease. With a median follow-up time of 25 months, the 5-year disease-free survival was 76% and the 5-year overall survival was 78%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data confirm the possibility of achieving encouraging rates of local control and OS in LACC patients submitted to chemoradiation plus surgery, with a low rate of toxicity and complications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Distefano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mariagrazia
authors.forename: Fagotti
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anna
authors.forename: Ferrandina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gabriella
authors.forename: Fanfani
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Francesco
authors.forename: Smaniotto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daniela
authors.forename: D'Agostino
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giuseppe
authors.forename: Morganti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alessio
authors.forename: Scambia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giovanni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery