A Phase II trial of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin in the treatment of metastatic carcinoma of the uterine cervix

✍ Scribed by Christos A. Papadimitriou; Meletios A. Dimopoulos; Nikolaos Giannakoulis; Kyrillos Sarris; Georgios Vassilakopoulos; Thrasyvoulos Akrivos; Zannis Voulgaris; Georgios Vlahos; Emmanouil Diakomanolis; Stylianos Michalas

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 68 KB
• Volume: 79
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19970615)79:12<2391::aid-cncr14>3.0.co;2-m

✦ Synopsis

Background:

Patients with metastatic carcinoma of the uterine cervix have limited survival. thus, new chemotherapeutic agents and combinations are needed to improve patient outcome.

Methods:

Twenty-seven patients with stage iv primary or recurrent carcinoma of the uterine cervix were assigned to chemotherapy treatment at 4-week intervals with methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (mvac). the treatment was comprised of methotrexate, 30 mg/m2 administered intravenously (i.v.) on days 1, 15, and 22; vinblastine, 3 mg/m2 i.v. on days 2, 15, and 22; doxorubicin, 30 mg/m2 i.v. on day 2; and cisplatin, 70 mg/m2 i.v. on day 2. granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (g-csf) was given subcutaneously on days 6-10 at a dose of 5 micrograms/kg.

Results:

After a median of 4 cycles (a maximum of 6 in responders), the authors observed objective responses in 14 patients (52%), including 3 complete responses (11%) and 11 partial responses (41%). median overall survival was 11 months (range, 4-15+ months), and median progression free survival of the responders was 8 months (range, 6-15+ months). toxicity was acceptable and included neutropenia, alopecia, vomiting, and stomatitis.

Conclusions:

Mvac is an active regimen in the treatment of patients with advanced or recurrent carcinoma of the uterine cervix. it produced responses in one-half of the patients in this study, and it can be administered on an outpatient basis. the addition of g-csf appears to reduce hematologic toxicity.