Abstract

Objective: Survival of patients with bulky cervical cancer treated with surgery or radiotherapy has been poor. This has led to the another therapeutic modality. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisylatin combination has been employed extensively. Carboplatin is an an- alog of cisplatin with minimal nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity at conventional dosage. The purpose of this study was to assess the local response and toxicity of carboplatin combination therapy for high risk cervical cancer. Methads: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin, vinblastin, bleomycin combination(20 patients) or cisplatin, vinblastin, bleomycin combination (20 patients)were tried to high risk squamous cell cancer of the uterine cervix. Randomization was well balanced for age, clinical stage and histologic type. Both drugs were given every 21 days with carboplatin 300 mg/m, vinblastin 4 mg/m(2), bleomycin 20 mg and cisplatin 75 mg/m, vinblastin 4 mg/m(2), bleomycin 20 mg. Results: The response rate of carboplatin combination and cisplatin combination were 25% and 30% of patients. The major toxic effects for carboplatin combination and cisplatin combination included nause and vomiting in 70% and 80% of patients, leukopenia in 40% and 60%, thrombocytopenia in 25% and l0%, and anemia in 35% and 40%, respectively. Conclusion: The activity of carboplatin combination for high risk cervical cancer is similar to the activity of cisplatin combination. However, the toxicity of the former is substantially better than that of the latter.

• Keywords: Cervix cancer, Carboplatin, Neoadjuvant chemotherapy