Stage III Cervical Cancer
Current Clinical Trials
Note: Some citations in the text of this section are followed by a level of evidence. The PDQ editorial boards use a formal ranking system to help the reader judge the strength of evidence linked to the reported results of a therapeutic strategy. (Refer to the PDQ summary on Levels of Evidence for more information.)
The size of the primary tumor is an important prognostic factor and should be
carefully evaluated in choosing optimal therapy.[1] Patterns-of-care studies
in stage IIIA/IIIB patients indicate that survival is dependent on the extent
of the disease, with unilateral pelvic wall involvement predicting a better
outcome than bilateral involvement, which in turn predicts a better outcome
than involvement of the lower third of the vaginal wall.[2] These studies also
reveal a progressive increase in local control and survival paralleling a
progressive increase in paracentral (point A) dose and use of intracavitary
treatment. The highest rate of central control was seen with paracentral
(point A) doses of more than 85 Gy.[3]
Patients who are surgically
staged as part of a clinical trial and are found to have small volume
para-aortic nodal disease and controllable pelvic disease may be cured with
external-beam pelvic and para-aortic radiation therapy. If postoperative external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is
planned following surgery, extraperitoneal lymph node sampling is associated
with fewer radiation-induced complications than a transperitoneal approach.[4]
The resection of macroscopically involved pelvic nodes may improve rates of
local control with postoperative radiation therapy.[5] Treatment of patients with unresected
periaortic nodes with extended-field radiation therapy leads to long-term disease
control in those patients with low volume (<2 cm) nodal disease below L3.
Patients who underwent extraperitoneal lymph node sampling had fewer bowel
complications than those who had transperitoneal lymph node sampling.[6]
Five randomized phase III trials have shown an overall survival advantage for
cisplatin-based therapy given concurrently with radiation therapy, [7-12] while
one trial examining this regimen demonstrated no benefit.[13] The patient
populations in these studies included women with Federation Internationale de Gynecologie et d'Obstetrique (FIGO) stages IB2 to IVA
cervical cancer treated with primary radiation therapy and women with FIGO
stages I to IIA disease found to have poor prognostic factors (metastatic
disease in pelvic lymph nodes, parametrial disease, or positive surgical
margins) at time of primary surgery. Although the positive trials vary
somewhat in terms of stage of disease, dose of radiation, and schedule of
cisplatin and radiation, the trials demonstrate significant survival benefit for
this combined approach. The risk of death from cervical cancer was decreased
by 30% to 50% with the use of concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Based on these results, strong
consideration should be given to the incorporation of concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy with radiation therapy in women who require radiation
therapy for treatment of cervical cancer.[7-14]
Standard treatment options:
- Radiation therapy plus chemotherapy: Intracavitary radiation and EBRT to the pelvis combined with cisplatin or cisplatin/fluorouracil.[7-12]
Although low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy, typically with 137-Cs, has been the traditional approach, the use of high-dose rate (HDR) therapy, typically with 192-Ir, is rapidly increasing. HDR brachytherapy provides the advantage of eliminating radiation exposure to medical personnel, a shorter treatment time, patient convenience, and outpatient management. In three randomized trials, HDR brachytherapy was comparable with LDR brachytherapy in terms of local-regional control and complication rates.[15-17][Level of evidence: 1iiDii]. The American Brachytherapy Society has published guidelines for the use of LDR and HDR brachytherapy as a component of cervical cancer treatment.[18,19]
Current Clinical Trials
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage III cervical cancer. The list of clinical trials can be further narrowed by location, drug, intervention, and other criteria.
General information about clinical trials is also available from the NCI Web site.
References
-
Perez CA, Grigsby PW, Nene SM, et al.: Effect of tumor size on the prognosis of carcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with irradiation alone. Cancer 69 (11): 2796-806, 1992.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Lanciano RM, Won M, Hanks GE: A reappraisal of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging system for cervical cancer. A study of patterns of care. Cancer 69 (2): 482-7, 1992.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Lanciano RM, Martz K, Coia LR, et al.: Tumor and treatment factors improving outcome in stage III-B cervix cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 20 (1): 95-100, 1991.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Weiser EB, Bundy BN, Hoskins WJ, et al.: Extraperitoneal versus transperitoneal selective paraaortic lymphadenectomy in the pretreatment surgical staging of advanced cervical carcinoma (a Gynecologic Oncology Group study). Gynecol Oncol 33 (3): 283-9, 1989.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Downey GO, Potish RA, Adcock LL, et al.: Pretreatment surgical staging in cervical carcinoma: therapeutic efficacy of pelvic lymph node resection. Am J Obstet Gynecol 160 (5 Pt 1): 1055-61, 1989.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Vigliotti AP, Wen BC, Hussey DH, et al.: Extended field irradiation for carcinoma of the uterine cervix with positive periaortic nodes. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 23 (3): 501-9, 1992.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Whitney CW, Sause W, Bundy BN, et al.: Randomized comparison of fluorouracil plus cisplatin versus hydroxyurea as an adjunct to radiation therapy in stage IIB-IVA carcinoma of the cervix with negative para-aortic lymph nodes: a Gynecologic Oncology Group and Southwest Oncology Group study. J Clin Oncol 17 (5): 1339-48, 1999.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Morris M, Eifel PJ, Lu J, et al.: Pelvic radiation with concurrent chemotherapy compared with pelvic and para-aortic radiation for high-risk cervical cancer. N Engl J Med 340 (15): 1137-43, 1999.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Rose PG, Bundy BN, Watkins EB, et al.: Concurrent cisplatin-based radiotherapy and chemotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer. N Engl J Med 340 (15): 1144-53, 1999.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Keys HM, Bundy BN, Stehman FB, et al.: Cisplatin, radiation, and adjuvant hysterectomy compared with radiation and adjuvant hysterectomy for bulky stage IB cervical carcinoma. N Engl J Med 340 (15): 1154-61, 1999.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Peters WA 3rd, Liu PY, Barrett RJ 2nd, et al.: Concurrent chemotherapy and pelvic radiation therapy compared with pelvic radiation therapy alone as adjuvant therapy after radical surgery in high-risk early-stage cancer of the cervix. J Clin Oncol 18 (8): 1606-13, 2000.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Thomas GM: Improved treatment for cervical cancer--concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. N Engl J Med 340 (15): 1198-200, 1999.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Pearcey R, Brundage M, Drouin P, et al.: Phase III trial comparing radical radiotherapy with and without cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with advanced squamous cell cancer of the cervix. J Clin Oncol 20 (4): 966-72, 2002.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Rose PG, Bundy BN: Chemoradiation for locally advanced cervical cancer: does it help? J Clin Oncol 20 (4): 891-3, 2002.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Patel FD, Sharma SC, Negi PS, et al.: Low dose rate vs. high dose rate brachytherapy in the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix: a clinical trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 28 (2): 335-41, 1994.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Hareyama M, Sakata K, Oouchi A, et al.: High-dose-rate versus low-dose-rate intracavitary therapy for carcinoma of the uterine cervix: a randomized trial. Cancer 94 (1): 117-24, 2002.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Lertsanguansinchai P, Lertbutsayanukul C, Shotelersuk K, et al.: Phase III randomized trial comparing LDR and HDR brachytherapy in treatment of cervical carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 59 (5): 1424-31, 2004.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Nag S, Chao C, Erickson B, et al.: The American Brachytherapy Society recommendations for low-dose-rate brachytherapy for carcinoma of the cervix. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 52 (1): 33-48, 2002.
[PUBMED Abstract]
-
Nag S, Erickson B, Thomadsen B, et al.: The American Brachytherapy Society recommendations for high-dose-rate brachytherapy for carcinoma of the cervix. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 48 (1): 201-11, 2000.
[PUBMED Abstract]
Back to Top
< Previous Section | Next Section > |