Carcinoma of the cervix treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Cooperative studies in the Gynecologic Oncology Group

Abstract

Since its inception in 1970, the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) has pursued a series of Phase II and III cooperative clinical investigations of the combination of cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation therapy for patients with locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix. After an initial randomized trial indicated that hydroxyurea was superior to placebo, subsequent studies have evaluated whether the hypoxic sensitizer, misonidazole, or the combination of cisplatin with infusional 5-fluorouracil were superior to hydroxyurea. Other studies have evaluated concurrent chemotherapy with extended field radiation for patients with metastatic disease in their paraaortic nodes. The GOG will continue to attempt to identify and develop superior adjuncts to radiation therapy for this patient population.