Aim: The data of survival for Indian cervical cancer patients treated by indigenous modifications of the protocol are scarce. The objective of this retrospective study was to analyze the efficacy and tolerability in patients of cervical carcinoma treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation.
Materials and methods: Three hundred and thirty two cases of squamous cell carcinoma of cervix who received 3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed concurrent chemoradiation were retrospectively analyzed for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and local pelvic control rate.
Results: The 3-year OS and DFS were 93.7 % for stage I-B, 88.0 and 84.0 % for stage II-A, 82.8 and 79.7 % for stage II-B, 70.0 and 64.9 % for stage III-A, 59.3 and 52.4 % for stage III-B, and 53.6 and 32.1 % for stage IV-A disease. The 5-year OS and DFS rates were 93.7 and 87.5 % for stage I-B, 84.0 % for Stage II-A, 79.7 and 76.6 % for stage II-B, 67.6 and 59.5 % for stage III-A, 48.4 and 41.9 % for stage III-B, and 28.6 and 14.3 % for stage IV-A disease.
Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation is feasible and produces impressive disease-free and overall survival. This protocol is especially helpful for busy cancer centers with long waiting lists on radiotherapy machines.
Keywords: Cervical carcinoma; Concurrent chemoradiation; Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; Squamous cell carcinoma.