Chemoradiation and adjuvant chemotherapy in advanced cervical adenocarcinoma

The optimal treatment of women with advanced adenocarcinoma of uterine cervix is still undefined. We compared concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) and adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy with CCRT alone for advanced cervical adenocarcinoma in a randomized trial at the Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital in China.

From 1998 to 2007, 880 patients with clinical FIGO stages IIB-IVA cervical adenocarcinoma were randomized to receive either CCRT or chemoradiation with one cycle of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy with Paclitaxel (135 mg/m(2))+Cisplatin (75 mg/m(2)) before receiving radiation and two cycles of consolidation chemotherapy with the same drugs after radiotherapy in 3-week intervals. The disease control and survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

All patients completed the treatment plan. 340 patients have relapsed, with a median follow-up duration of 60 months. Patients who received chemoradiation with adjuvant chemotherapy showed a significantly longer disease-free (P<.05), cumulative survival (P<.05) and long-term local tumor control (P<.05). Patients who received CCRT alone had significantly more distant metastasis and pelvic failure than those who received chemoradiation with adjuvant chemotherapy (P<.05).

Incorporating neo-adjuvant and consolidation chemotherapy with Paclitaxel and Cisplatin into concomitant chemoradiation is highly effective, safe and may be a very promising treatment protocol for advanced cervical adenocarcinoma.