Abstract

Twenty-nine patients with disseminated squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated with a 3 mg/m² weekly i.v. bolus schedule of vindesine for 6 weeks (thereafter every 2 weeks). Twenty-seven patients were evaluable for response, 19 of whom had received prior chemotherapy (14 also vincristine). Five of the 27 patients (19%) showed a partial response, all being part of the 22 patients with only distant metastases. No objective response were observed among five patients who also had loco-regional recurrent disease. The median duration of response was 21 (11–58) weeks. Dose-limiting toxic effects were leukopenia and peripheral neuropathy. Vindesine warrants further study in combination chemotherapy protocols for cervical cancer.