Survival Outcomes of Clinical Trials in Patients With Recurrent Cervical Cancer

IntroductionA large proportion of patients with cervical cancer have a lower socioeconomic background with inherent barriers to clinical trial participation. The present authors hypothesized that patients participating in a clinical trial would have better outcomes compared with those not enrolled in a trial. The objective was to review the clinical outcomes of women with recurrent cervical cancer treated on a clinical trial versus those treated off trial.Patients and MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of women treated for recurrent cervical cancer on versus off clinical trial between 1998 and 2010. Women participating in Gynecologic Oncology Group clinical trials for recurrent cervical cancer were identified and matched 1:1 with women treated off trial based on age within 10 years, ethnicity, stage at initial diagnosis, histology, primary treatment, and baseline renal function.ResultsA total of 60 women with recurrent cervical cancer were identified; 30 were treated for their recurrence on a clinical trial and were matched to 30 treated off trial. The median number of salvage regimens was 1.0 for the trial group (range, 1-5) and 1.5 for the off-trial group (range, 1-5) (P = .74). There was no significant difference in the number of cycles of chemotherapy completed on versus off trial (7.5 vs. 5.9; P = .44). There was also no significant difference in progression-free and overall survival from time of recurrence on trial and off trial (4.2 vs. 3.1 months [P = .75] and 15.0 vs. 13.8 months [P = .64], respectively).ConclusionThis study found that the progression-free survival and overall survival are similar between women treated with chemotherapy on or off trial for cervical cancer.