[Efficiency and side effects of concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy for advanced cervical cancers].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the efficiency of concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy for advanced cervical cancer.


METHODS
Between Dec. 1999 and Dec. 2003, 158 women with cervical cancer were treated with concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The regimen was 45 Gy/25 fraction radiation to the pelvis, intracavitary after-loading 7-9 fractions, (42 +/- 7) Gy to point A and 10-30 Gy to cervical submucosa 0.5 cm for debulking; meanwhile, chemotherapy was given with cisplatin 60 mg/m2, d1-d4, and 5-Fu 2400 mg/m2, over a 96-hour period.


RESULTS
The rate of local resistence and pelvic recurrence was 4.4% and 3.2%, respectively. The rate of distant metastasis was 17.1%. The overall 5-year survival rate was 66.3%, without statistically significant difference between concurrent chemoradiation group and radiation alone group during the same period. The adverse effect included grade 3 or grade 4 leukopenia in 12.7% of these patients, grade 3 thrombocytopenia in 1.3%, anemia in 3.2%, diarrhoea in 17.8%, cardiac toxicity in 10.1% and radiation- related rectitis in 13.3% and cystitis in 0.6%, but alopecia was rare.


CONCLUSIONS
Concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy may not be able to improve survival for advanced cervical cancer, however, adverse effect is tolerable.
Bai
Ping
P
Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciemces and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Zhang
Rong
R
Li
Xiao-Guang
XG
Ma
Shao-Kang
SK
Wu
Ling-Ying
LY
Zhang
Wen-Hua
WH
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*
D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil