Carboplatin and paclitaxel as an initial treatment in patients with stage IVb cervical cancer: a report of 7 cases and a review of the literature

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of carboplatin-paclitaxel (TC) as an initial treatment in patients with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IVb cervical cancer. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed seven patients with stage IVb cervical cancer who have been primarily treated with TC. The activity and the toxicity were evaluated. Response rate was the main endpoint. Results: Overall, the treatment of TC was well tolerated. The overall response rate was 71.4% (2 complete response, 3 partial response). Although grade 3-4 hematologic toxicities were observed in 3 out of 7 patients (42.8%), no patients experienced grade 3-4 non-hematologic toxicities. When we combined our present results with the previous reports, the overall response rate of TC is 63.6%. Conclusion: TC is active and well tolerated in patients FIGO stage IVb cervical cancer. This combination may be considered as an initial treatment regimen in this patient population.