Intra-arterial chemotherapy with cisplatin followed by radical radiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer

Locally advanced cervical cancer has a dismal prognosis, with a high local failure rate and a poor survival rate. To improve the cure rate for advanced carcinoma of the cervix, we initiated a study of intra-arterial (I-A) chemotherapy with cisplatin via the uterine artery prior to definitive radiotherapy. I-A chemotherapy via the internal iliac artery has been used to treat advanced cervical cancer; however, access by way of the uterine artery has not been tested for this purpose. Thirty-four patients with central tumor > or = 5 cm in anteroposterior diameter observed on CT scans were treated with I-A chemotherapy. I-A chemotherapy consisted of unilateral catheterization of the uterine artery using 120 mg/m2 cisplatin. After assessment of I-A chemotherapy, all but 3 patients were treated with a combination of whole-pelvis external irradiation and intracavitary irradiation. The 3 patients underwent external radiotherapy alone. Twenty-seven of 34 patients treated were evaluable for response to I-A chemotherapy. Eleven patients (41%) experienced a partial response. Seventy-six percent of the 34 patients treated with I-A chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy exhibited a complete response by the end of treatment. Toxicity was well tolerated and no death due to treatment occurred. The 2- and 5-year actuarial survival rates were 64 and 55%, respectively. The crude incidences of pelvic recurrence and distant metastasis observed at a median follow-up of 54 months were both 47%. This study for locally advanced cervical cancer suggests there is benefit to be derived from our I-A chemotherapy followed by radical radiotherapy.