The preoperative interventional chemoembolization for the treatment of cervical cancer; its clinical application

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of preoperative interventional chemoembolization in the treatment of cervical cancer and to observe the pathological changes of the tumor after the procedure. Methods: During the period of Jan. 2006 - Dec. 2007, preoperative interventional chemoembolization was performed in 75 patients with cervical cancer. The antineoplastic drugs included cisplatin, epirubicin and BLM. In all patients, interventional arterial infusion chemotherapy was carried out before the embolization of bilateral tumor-feeding arteries with gelfoam was made. Results: Seventy-five patients underwent radical resection surgery after receiving 1 or 2 times of chemoembolization. Pathologically, massive necrosis and lymphocytic infiltration were found within the tumor, and histological complete remission (HCR) was seen in 3 patients. Conclusion: For the treatment of cervical cancer, the preoperative interventional chemoembolization can effectively decrease the tumor size and reduce blood loss during operation, moreover, even HCR can be obtained in some patients. (authors)