Elsevier

Gynecologic Oncology

Volume 56, Issue 2, February 1995, Pages 218-225
Gynecologic Oncology

Regular Article
Small Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix Treated with Concurrent Radiotherapy, Cisplatin, and Etoposide

https://doi.org/10.1006/gyno.1995.1035Get rights and content

Abstract

A multimodality regimen of four cycles of cisplatin and etoposide with concurrent locoregional radiotherapy (XRT) has been, since May 1988, the standard therapy for women with small cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC). Prophylactic cranial irradiation was to be used in all but primary progressors. All 11 patients (median age 47; 4 with pure SCCC and 7 with mixed histology) seen by us were treated with this regimen. Only 1 patient progressed while on treatment. The 3-year overall and failure-free survivals were 28%. Four patients remain alive in first remission; the remaining 7 died (2 from toxicity, 5 from cancer). Although not statistically significant due to the small numbers, it appeared that the chance of long-term survival depended both on the amount of the cancer as indicated by the FIGO stage and size of the primary and also the performance status. The toxicity was significant with 70% experiencing severe neutropenia and 40% being admitted for control of emesis. This regimen is only appropriate for those women in whom all of the apparent tumor can be encompassed within a radiation field and who, in addition, have a performance status of 0 or 1. For the remainder it does not offer any chance of lung-term survival and its toxicity renders it antipalliative.

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