Clinical evaluation of intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced or recurrent cervical cancer with or without radiotherapy

We analyzed 52 cases of advanced or recurrent cancer of the cervix treated by intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy (IAIC) with or without radiotherapy. IAIC regimen was separated into two groups: Group I consisted of 5-FU + MMC ± ADR (30 cases) and Group II of CDDP + MMC ± 5-FU (22 cases). The tip of the catheter was placed in the bifurcation of abdominal aorta or the bilateral internal iliac arteries (7 cases). The overall response rate (CR + PR) was 71%, 87% in patients given radiotherapy, 50% in those without radiotherapy, and 100% in primary cases. The five-year survival rate was 20% in primary cases, 14% in recurrent cases, 3% in Group I and 38% in Group II (p=0.00182) by chemotherapy regimen. Severe (more than grade III) hematological acute side effect was 48% for all cases, but recovered by interruption of drugs. In 7 cases in which the tip of the catheter was placed in internal iliac arteries, there were severe skin ulcers in 2 cases and severe pain of leg or gluteal region requiring narcotics in 2 cases. These data suggest that IAIC mainly with cisplatin with or without radiotherapy is one of the effective treatments for advanced or recurrent cervix cancer. But we should check the blood flow distribution periodically, and control the concentration of drugs. (author)