[Loco-regional intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy in cervical carcinoma]

Fifteen patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix--7 in stage II, 6 in stage III and 2 in stage IV--were considered not to respond at the end of radiotherapy. Therefore, the whole patient population underwent bilateral intraarterial chemotherapy with Mitomycin-C (3 cycles, 3-4 weeks' intervals). Patients' responses were evaluated with clinical and CT examinations following irradiation and after completing chemotherapy. Pelvic irradiation was administered by external beams (6 Mv), for a 50-Gy dosage (200 cGy/day for 5 weeks); in 4 cases treatment was completed by means of brachytherapy (192 Ir), with 20-25 Gy dosage. Intraarterial infusion was carried out after positioning the catheters in both uterine arteries; in 5 cases, the internal iliac artery alone was cannulated. At the end of the combined treatment, 2 patients (13%) responded completely, 9 (60%) partially and 4 (27%) not at all. Mean survival was 24 months. No hematologic complication was so severe that treatment had to be discontinued. In 4 patients chemotherapy caused a partially ulcerated skin erythema in the buttocks, which was completely cured in all cases.