'More May Be Less' in Metastatic Cervical Cancer

VIENNA--A new study from the EORTC Gynecologic Cancer Cooperative Group(GCCG) has challenged the assumption that aggressive combination chemotherapyis worthwhile in chemotherapy-naïve women with metastatic squamouscell cancer of the cervix.

Although a highly active four-drug combination yielded a response ratesuperior to that seen with cisplatin alone, it resulted in substantiallygreater hematologic and nonhematologic toxicity, and afforded no survivaladvantage, Dr. Jan Vermorken of Amsterdam's Free University Hospital, saidat the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress.

The study documented a 31% response rate in the 143 women assigned toBEMP (bleomycin, vindesine, mitomycin C, cisplatin) versus 19% in the 144platinum-treated patients.

This benefit was achieved at the cost of more frequent complications,treatment delays, and dose reductions. At 6 years' follow-up, survivalcurves for the two regimens were superimposable.