Concurrent weekly cisplatin versus triweekly cisplatin with radiotherapy for locally advanced squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix: a retrospective analysis from a single institution.

Objective: To compare patients with cervical cancer who were primarily treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) using 20 mg m-2 CDDP for 5 days every 3 weeks with weekly regimens of 40 mg m-2.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 185 patients with Stage IB-IVA squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix who were treated with CCRT between 2005 and 2013 at our hospital. The CCRT regimen consisted of cisplatin (CDDP) at 20 mg m-2 for 5 days every 3 weeks or 40 mg m-2 weekly, administered concomitantly with RT.

Results: The median age was 50 years (range: 22-70 years) in the triweekly group and was 50.5 years (range: 28-70 years) in the weekly group. The 5-year overall survival rate in the triweekly and weekly groups were 82.0% and 83.3%, respectively (p = 0.851); their disease-free survival rate was 79.6% and 78.1%, respectively (p = 0.672). In the triweekly group, 56 patients (50.9%) had grade 3/4 leukopenia, which was significantly higher than that of 11 patients (15%) in the weekly group (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: The weekly CDDP regimen for CCRT seems better in patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stages IB-IVA squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix. Advances in knowledge: The weekly CDDP regimen for CCRT seems better in patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stages IB-IVA squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix.