BACKGROUND: Cisplatin-based chemoradiation (CRT) is the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently overexpressed in cervical cancer, and EGFR inhibition itself has antitumor effects and potentiates CRT. Results of a previous phase 1 trial of the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib combined with cisplatin-based CRT (E 1 CRT) recommended a phase 2 erlotinib dose of 150 mg/day. METHODS: Eligibility criteria included International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIB to IIIB epidermoid cervical cancer, no prior therapy, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2. Patients received erlotinib at a dose of 150 mg/day 1 week before and in combination with cisplatin (40 mg/m 2 administered weekly for 5 cycles) and radiotherapy (4500 centigrays in 25 fractions), followed by brachytherapy (4 fractions at a dose of 600 centigrays weekly). RESULTS: A total of 36 patients completed treatment with E 1 CRT. The median duration of therapy was 77 days and the median follow-up period was 59.3 months. The therapy was well tolerated overall, and 34 patients (94.4%) achieved a complete response. The 2-year and 3-year cumulative overall and progression-free survival rates were 91.7% and 80.6% and 80% and 73.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with E 1 CRT appears to be safe and exerts significant activity against locally advanced cervical cancer. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to date to demonstrate that a target agent has promising activity against locally advanced cervical cancer. Cancer 2014;120:1187-93.

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BIC can be administered on an outpatient basis and seems to be effective in inducing tumor response and palliation in patients with disseminated squamous cell carcinoma of cervix, with a possible survival benefit for previously nonirradiated patients, with an acceptable toxicity profile.

A better postoperative quality of life (functional capacity, physical aspect and pain) and higher satisfaction rate was found in the VH when compared to TAH.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate clinical and pathologic findings that predicted pelvic lymph node metastasis and parametrial and vaginal involvement in patients with stage IB carcinoma of the cervix. Methods: 71 patients with diagnosis of stage IB (FIGO) cervical cancer were prospectively studied from December 1997 to August 2002. The patient’s age, clinical stage (IB1 or IB2), histological classification, grade of differentiation, tumor volume, and lymphatic vascular space invasion (LVSI) were evaluated. Statistical methods included χ² test and Fisher’s exact test to evaluate significant differences between the groups. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The clinical stage was IB1 in 51 patients (71.8%) and IB2 in 20 patients (28.2%). The histological classification identified squamous cell carcinoma in 60 patients (84.5%) and adenocarcinoma in 11 patients (15.5%). The average tumoral volume was 22.8 ± 24.3 cm³ (0.3–140.0 cm³). The tumor was well differentiated (G1) in 8 (11.3%), moderately differentiated (G2) in 40 (56.3%) and poorly differentiated in 23 (32.4%) of the cases. The presence of LVSI was detected in 14 patients (19.7%) and was associated with pelvic lymph node metastasis and vaginal and parametrial involvement (p = 0.002, p = 0.001 and p < 0.001; respectively). The average number of positive pelvic lymph nodes was significantly higher in the patients with LVSI compared with patients without LVSI (2.47 ± 2.8 vs. 0.33 ± 0.74; p = 0.001). There was no association of age, clinical stage, histological classification, grade of differentiation or tumor volume with pelvic lymph node metastasis and vaginal and parametrial involvement. Conclusion: The presence of LVSI is significantly associated with pelvic lymph node metastasis and vaginal and parametrial involvement in patients with stage IB cervical carcinoma.

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The present data show that total inhibin is a sensitive and specific marker of epithelial ovarian cancers in postmenopausal women. Total inhibin may therefore be combined with CA-125 for noninvasive diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer and may also be a useful serum marker to monitor disease-free intervals.