Long-term follow-up results from a Gynecologic Oncology Group clinical trial that compared cisplatin-based chemotherapy with hydroxyurea in addition to radiation therapy for locally or regionally advanced cervical cancer, published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed that cisplatin-based chemotherapy significantly improved both progression-free and overall survival compared with hydroxyurea alone. The percentage of women experiencing late side effects did not significantly differ between the treatment groups.

The investigators randomly assigned participating women to one of three groups. One group received cisplatin alone, the second received the chemotherapy drug hydroxyurea alone, and the third received a combination of cisplatin, hydroxyurea, and the drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). All drugs were given during radiation therapy, and all women received the same type and amount of radiation therapy.

Patients were followed for an average of almost 9 years. Women who received either cisplatin or the combination of cisplatin, 5-FU, and hydroxyurea had significantly longer progression-free survival and overall survival than women who received hydroxyurea alone, regardless of whether the cancer had spread locally or regionally. After adjusting for the fact that more patients who received cisplatin or the combination regimen were alive for the analysis of side effects, the investigators did not observe a significant difference in late-occurring side effects between the groups.

"Collectively, this follow-up analysis continues to support the use of cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy with pelvic radiation therapy for locally advanced stage cervical cancer," summarized the authors.