Role of ifosfamide in cervical cancer: an overview

Ifosfamide, a cyclophosphamide analogue, has demonstrated a wide spectrum of activity against numerous neoplasms in different oncologic areas, including paediatric, haematological, breast, lung and testicular cancers, soft tissue sarcomas and gynaecological cancer. In gynaecologic cancers in particular, evidence suggests activity in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer, cervical carcinoma, germ cell carcinoma of the ovary. Cervical cancer has long been considered a poorly chemosensitive tumour and for several years the role of chemotherapy in the treatment of this tumour was confined to persistent or recurrent disease after failure of surgery and/or radiotherapy. In the management of cervical cancer, chemotherapy has received increasing attention in the last two decades and is currently used in neoadjuvant regimens, as salvage treatment in patients with disseminated or recurrent disease, or as a radiosensitizer. Over the past 30 years, several agents have been tested but cisplatin and ifosfamide are the agents that have attracted the greater attention. Cisplatin represents the cornerstone of chemotherapy for cervical cancer. Ifosfamide has been studied as a single agent or in combination with other drugs in different studies. In this paper we reviewed the approach with systemic therapy and, in particular, the role of ifosfamide in advanced or recurrent, and less advanced cervical cancer.