[Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy and surgery of locally advanced cervical carcinoma: review of 22 patients treated at the Bordet Institute].
OBJECTIVE
Concomitant chemoradiation is the "new gold standard" for dealing with locally advanced cervical carcinoma, but what about surgery? We don't know yet to what extent surgery is necessary and how radical it must be when it is performed. In this study, we present the analysis of the results obtained in patients treated by concomitant chemoradiation followed by radical surgery.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients, median age 49 years, with I(b) - III(a) cervical tumors were enrolled to be treated by concomitant chemoradiation followed by radical surgery. The chemoradiation protocol included external radiotherapy to the pelvis: 45 Gy; Cisplatin 40 mg/m(2) in continuous intravenous infusion once a week (5 weeks) followed by brachytherapy one week later. Surgery was performed 4 to 6 weeks later and consisted in radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy.


RESULTS
20/22 patients underwent surgery after chemoradiation because of a diagnosis of lung metastases in one and presence of a nonresectable metastasis for the other. A complete pathological response was demonstrated in 12/20 patients (60%), a microscopic residual tumor in 7 patients (35%), and residual disease <1cm in 1 patient (5%).


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed a particularly high rate of pathologic responses (T(0)+T(mic): 95%) and of local control. We don't know yet if surgery is a real necessity or if it could be less extended after concomitant chemoradiation.
Noterman
D
D
Département de Chirurgie Mammaire et Pelvienne, Bruxelles, Belgique. danielle.noterman@bordet.be
Philippson
C
C
Hertens
D
D
Veys
I
I
Schobbens
J-C
JC
Nogaret
J-M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin