title: Concurrent chemoradiation with carboplatin for elderly, diabetic and hypertensive patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chemoradiation based on cisplatin is the standard treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer, however, a subset of patients are either elderly and/or have comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. These conditions may compromise the administration of cisplatin. We report our Institution experience with weekly carboplatin as a radiosensitizer for the management of this subset of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the files of 59 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer who were treated with primary chemoradiation with weekly carboplatin. Response rate, toxicity and survival were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 62 years (range, 36-83 years). The majority of cases were squamous cell carcinoma (88.14%), and distribution according to FIGO Stage was IB2 8.4%, IIA 13.5%, IIB 52.5%, IIIA 3.3% and IIIB 18.6%; Overall, 100% and 91% of patients completed external beam and intracavitary therapy. Seventy-nine percent received from five to six planned cycles of weekly carboplatin. Complete responses were achieved in 49 (83.05 %) patients, whereas ten patients (16.95%) had either persistent or progressive disease. The most common toxicities were grades 1 and 2 hematological and gastrointestinal. At median follow-up (20 months; range 2-48 months), 16 patients (32.65%) have relapsed. Estimated 30-month overall survival is 63%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weekly carboplatin concurrent with pelvic radiation is well tolerated in patients with locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix who are older than 70 years and/or have diabetes mellitus and/or high blood pressure, however, the apparently slighty lower survival observed cautions against its routine use.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer Inst Inv. Biomédicas UNAM, INCAN, Tlalpan, México.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cetina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia-Arias
authors.forename: M de Jesus
authors.initials: Mde J
authors.lastname: Uribe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Candelaria
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oñate-Ocaña
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coronel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dueñas-Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016190:Carboplatin