title: Concurrent chemoradiation with weekly gemcitabine and cisplatin for locally advanced cervical cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For more than 80 years, the standard treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer was radiotherapy. However, based on several phase III randomized clinical trials in the past decade, concurrent cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy is the current standard for this disease. Gemcitabine has potent radiosensitizing properties in preclinical and clinical trials, so it can be utilized simultaneously with radiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty women with untreated invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix of stage IIB to stage IVA were enrolled in the study in the Radiation Oncology Department of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran from September 2009 to September 2010. Sixty mg/m2 gemcitabine followed by 35 mg/m(2) cisplatin were concurrently administered with radiotherapy to the whole pelvic region on day one of each treatment week for five weeks. One and three months after treatment, patients underwent a complete physical examination and MRI to determine the response to treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 58.1 ± 11.8 (29-78) years. After 3 months of treatment, 73.3%had complete and 26.7% demonstrated partial response to treatment. Grade 3 anemia was seen in 10%, grade 3 thrombocytopenia in 3.3% and grade 3 leukopenia in 10% of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the positive results of this study in stage IIB, further phase II and III clinical trials are suggested to evaluate the role of chemoradiation using Gemcitabine for advanced cervical cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran E-mail : bitakalaghchi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Farnaz Amouzegar
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Hashemi
authors.forename: Ehsan Hamed
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Akbari
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kalaghchi
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esmati
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine