Stage IB2-IIIB cervical cancer: neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radical surgery and patient survival

The aim of the study was to evaluate the five-year survival rate in patients with stage IB2-IIIB cervical cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical surgery. Material and Methods. Long-term treatment outcomes were studied in 173 patients with histologically-verified stage IB2-IIIB cervical squamous cell carcinoma. The patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy using intravenous infusion of cytostatic drugs (n=106) and intra-arterial infusion of cytostatic drugs in combination with embolization of tumor-feeding arteries (n=67). Patients with resectable tumors underwent radical surgery. Disease-free survival was assessed. Results. The median follow-up time was 66 months, and the maximum follow-up period was 144 months. 160 (92.5 %) patients underwent radical surgery after chemotherapy. 55 (34.4 %) patients did not receive adjuvant radiation therapy. The five-year disease-free survival rate was 79.6 %. Conclusion. For the group of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, who achieved respectability following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radical surgery could be performed. Chemotherapy followed by radical surgery can improve disease-free survival rates in patients with stage IB2-IIIB cervical cancer.