Phase II trial of 5-fluorouracil and high-dose leucovorin in recurrent adenocarcinoma of the cervix: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study

Capecitabine in treating patients with advanced, persistent, or recurrent cervical cancer: an active and safe option?

Introduction: Advanced, persistent or recurrent cervical cancer in patients not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy predicts a dismal prognosis. Systemic chemotherapy based on paclitaxel/cisplatin ± bevacizumab is the current standard of care. However, once progression occurs, the possibility of alternative treatment options is very limited.Areas covered: The usefulness of capecitabine has been well-established against several cancer types, including head and neck, breast, and colorectal cancer. This review covers current literature evidence on the clinical efficacy and safety of capecitabine in cervical cancer treatment, either as monotherapy or combined with other agents or chemo-radiotherapy.Expert opinion: Recent clinical data, albeit scant, suggested a promising role for capecitabine both as monotherapy in patients with platinum-resistant cervical cancer and in combination with cisplatin in chemotherapy-naïve patients with metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer. In our opinion, capecitabine, especially in combination regimens, could represent a valid treatment option and further research is warranted to better understand its effectiveness in these challenging patients.

Adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: Pathologic features, treatment options, clinical outcome and prognostic variables

Adenocarcinoma accounts for 10-25% of all cervical cancers, and its relative and absolute rate has raised over the past decades. Most, but not all the authors, reported that adenocarcinoma has a greater propensity to lymph node, ovarian and distant metastases and a worse prognosis compared with squamous cell carcinoma. However, whether histologic type is an independent prognostic factor is still a debated issue. Moreover, adenocarcinoma is a very heterogenous disease, including different histological subtypes. Whereas radical hysterectomy and definitive radiotherapy achieve the same clinical outcome in early stage squamous cell carcinoma, surgery seems to obtain better survival compared with definitive radiotherapy in early stage adenocarcinoma. Chemoradiation is the standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer regardless of histologic type, although several retrospective studies showed that patients with adenocarcinoma were more likely to die than those with squamous cell carcinoma both before and after concurrent chemoradiation era. The prognostic relevance of biological variables, such as cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p53, cyclooxygenase-2 [COX-2], cell surface tyrosine-kinases and programmed death-ligand [PD-L1], is still under investigation. Palliative chemotherapy is the only treatment option for persistent or recurrent cervical adenocarcinoma not amenable with surgery and radiotherapy. The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors as well as a therapeutic strategy targeting cell surface tyrosine kinases should be adequately explored in this clinical setting.

Young Cervical Cancer Patients May Be More Responsive than Older Patients to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Radical Surgery

Objective

To evaluate the effects of age and the clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in patients with cervical cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical surgery.

Methods

A total of 1,014 patients with advanced cervical cancer who received NACT followed by radical surgery were retrospectively selected. Patients were divided into young (aged ≤35 years, n = 177) and older (aged >35 years, n = 837) groups. We compared the short-term responses and survival rates between the groups. The five-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were stratified by age, NACT response, and FIGO stage.

Results

The overall response rate was 86.8% in the young group and 80.9% in the older group. The young patients had an earlier FIGO stage (P<0.001), a higher rate of adenocarcinoma (P = 0.022), and more lymph node metastasis (P = 0.033) than the older patients. The presence of adenocarcinoma as the histological type (P = 0.024) and positive lymph node metastasis (P<0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for survival. When stratified by age and clinical response, young patients with no response to NACT had a worse clinicopathological condition compared with the other subgroups. Compared with non-responders, responders to NACT had a higher five-year DFS rate (80.1% versus 71.8%; P = 0.019) and OS rate (82.6% versus 71.8%; P = 0.003) among the young patients but not among the older patients.

Conclusions

Responders to NACT aged 35 years or younger benefitted the most from NACT, while the young non-responders benefitted the least. Age might represent an important factor to consider when performing NACT in patients with cervical cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy using platinum- and taxane-based regimens for bulky stage Ib2 to IIb non-squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix

PURPOSE

There are no reports on the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in non-squamous cell cervical carcinoma. We examined the effectiveness and safety of paclitaxel/carboplatin (TC) and docetaxel/carboplatin (DC).

METHODS

Stage Ib2 to IIb disease was present in 23 patients scheduled for radical hysterectomy. We administered 1-3 courses of either the TC or the DC regimen. Anti-tumor effects were found superior by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Safety was assessed with National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events.

RESULTS

Median age was 50 years (range 32-63 years), with stage Ib2 in 6 cases (26.1%) and IIb in 17 cases (73.9%). Complete response was achieved in 5 cases (21.7%), partial response in 13 (56.5%), stable disease in 5 (21.7%); the response rate was 78.3%, and surgery completion rate was 78.3%. Leukopenia or neutropenia ≥grade 3 was seen in 12 (52.2%) and 21 (91.3%) cases, respectively, with grade 3 febrile neutropenia in 2 cases (8.7%) and no anemia or thrombocytopenia ≥grade 3. Median progression-free survival was 26 months (95% Cl, 13.5-38.5 months); median overall survival was 35 months (95% Cl, 20.9-49.1 months).

CONCLUSION

NAC for non-squamous cell cervical carcinoma showed potent anti-tumor effects and manageable adverse events.

Phase II evaluation of capecitabine in refractory nonsquamous cell carcinoma of the cervix: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study

We conducted a multi-institutional study to assess the activity and toxicity of capecitabine in patients with persistent or recurrent nonsquamous cancer of the cervix. Eligible patients were required to possess adequate renal, hepatic and bone marrow function and a Gynecologic Oncology Group performance status of 0-2. Histologic confirmation of the original primary cancer was mandated. Patients must have received one prior systemic chemotherapeutic regimen for cervical cancer that did not include the chemotherapy that may have been administered in conjunction with prior radiation therapy. The initial dose schedule was 2500 mg/m2 orally daily in two divided doses for 14 consecutive days, followed by a 7-day rest, such that each cycle was 21 days. Responses were assessed using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors. Twenty-one patients were entered into the trial. One patient was declared ineligible for wrong cell type; thus, 20 were evaluable for toxicity. A median of 2.5 cycles was administered (range 1-11). There was one septic death. Grade 4 neutropenia, renal, neurologic, and pulmonary toxicity was seen in 5%, 5%, 5%, and 10% patients, respectively. There were no responses. Nine patients (45%) each had stable disease and nine showed progression. The remaining two cases (10%) did not have subsequent disease assessment and response could not be assessed. Oral capecitabine at the dose and schedule tested has insignificant activity in nonsquamous cervical cancer patients previously treated with chemotherapy.

Phase II clinical trial of capecitabine in the treatment of advanced, persistent or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix with translational research: a gynecologic oncology group study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the anti-tumor activity and adverse events of capecitabine in advanced, persistent or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, and to explore biomarkers with the potential to predict capecitabine response and toxicity.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Eligible, consenting patients were treated with a starting dose of 2500 mg/m(2)/day or 1800 mg/m(2)/day (divided into two doses given every 12 h) for 14 days of each 21-day cycle. Prior chemotherapy was allowed only in the context of radiation "sensitization". Genotyping in the 5' and 3' ends of thymidylate synthase (TS) was performed in DNA from pretreatment blood. Relative gene expression of TS, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) and thymidine phosphorylase (TP) was quantified in RNA extracted from paraffin-embedded tumor.

RESULTS

All patients had prior radiotherapy and 22 received a radiation sensitizer. A partial response was observed in 4 of 26 (15%) evaluable patients. An additional 35% of patients achieved stable disease while 42% experienced increasing disease. The most common serious non-hematological toxicities were gastrointestinal and dermatologic. Exploratory analyses suggested that: a germline polymorphism in the 3' or the 5' end of TS was not associated with TS gene expression, relative tumor expression of TS, DPD and TP were not correlated, and relative tumor expression of TP may predict severe anemia.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the modest response rate, this trial was closed without a second stage of accrual; single agent capecitabine was not selected for further study in advanced persistent or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix previously treated with radiation or chemoradiation.

Evaluation of gemcitabine in previously treated patients with non-squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix: a phase II study of the Gynecologic Oncology Group

PURPOSE

A multicenter study was conducted to evaluate the activity and toxicity of gemcitabine in patients with previously treated non-squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligible patients were required to have measurable disease with a GOG performance status of 0-2 and adequate bone marrow, renal, and hepatic function. Histologic confirmation of the primary diagnosis was mandatory. Patients were required to have received one prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic, persistent or recurrent disease. The initial dosage of gemcitabine was 800 mg/m(2) weekly times three with 1 week off until progressive disease or adverse side effects prohibited further therapy. Doses were escalated or reduced based on the disease toxicity experiences during the previous cycle.

RESULTS

Twenty-two women were entered into the trial. Three patients did not complete follow-up assessment for tumor response leaving 19 evaluable patients for response. All 22 patients were evaluable for toxicity. A median of two cycles was administered to each patient (range: 1-8). The overall response rate (1 partial response) was 4.5% with 36.4% of patients having stable disease. The median progression-free interval was 2.1 months (range: 0.5-12.7) and the overall survival was 6.5 months (range: 0.6-21.9). One patient had a grade 4 gastrointestinal adverse event (rectovaginal fistula formation attributed to the underlying cancer and not the study agent) complicated by grade 4 metabolic derangement. There were no grade 4 hematologic toxicities or treatment-related deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

Gemcitabine as a single agent had minimal activity in previously treated patients with non-squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Treatment of recurrent cervical adenocarcinoma with BMS-247550, an epothilone B analog

OBJECTIVE

The incidence of recurrent cervical adenocarcinoma is rising relative to the squamous subtype. There are limited therapeutic options for women with advanced cervical adenocarcinoma. Only a few chemotherapy agents have demonstrated activity in this disease. This report describes results with BMS-247550, an epothilone B analog that stabilizes microtubules, with activity in previously treated adenocarcinoma of the cervix.

METHOD

We present two women with recurrent cervical adenocarcinoma with metastases to the lung. Both women were treated previously with paclitaxel and were enrolled in a phase I study with BMS-247550. Both women had partial responses to BMS-247550 with a decrease in tumor size and CA-125 levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The demonstration of a response to BMS-247550, especially after additional chemotherapy had been administered, is encouraging, albeit preliminary. The ultimate role of BMS-247550 and multiagent chemotherapy in the treatment of adenocarcinoma of the cervix should be further investigated.

Prognostic value of age and histologic type in neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus radical surgery for bulky (>/=4 cm) stage IB and IIA cervical carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to investigate pretreatment variables related to prognosis and to evaluate long-term outcome in patients with bulky early-stage cervical carcinoma who were enrolled into a protocol treatment of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical surgery. Between 1988 and 1999, 162 women with previously untreated bulky (>/=4 cm) stage IB or IIA carcinoma of the uterine cervix registered to receive cisplatin, vincristine, and bleomycin for three cycles followed by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, were enrolled into this study. The 5-year relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of the whole series were 65% and 69%, respectively. In multivariate analyses, age (< 35 vs. >/= 35-year-old: relative risk [RR], 2.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-4.14; P = 0.043) and histologic type (adeno-adenosquamous vs. squamous carcinoma: RR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.26-5.39; P = 0.010) were independent variables associated with RFS, and age (< 35 vs. >/= 35-year-old: RR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.24-5.14; P = 0.010) and pre-NAC tumor size (> 5 vs. = 5 cm: RR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.09-3.90; P = 0.027) were significantly related to OS. Narrowing down patient selection to squamous carcinoma and age older than 35 years with stratification of tumor size (break point of 5 cm) is recommended in future trials involving cisplatin-based NAC plus radical surgery.