Prognostic value of responsiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery for patients with stage IB2/IIA2 cervical cancer

ObjectiveTo evaluate the factors that might affect the putative survival benefit from pre-operative neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with early stage bulky cervical cancer.MethodsA retrospective review for 304 patients with stage IB2/IIA2 cervical cancer was performed. Two groups were made according to pre-operative NAC or not: NAC group (n = 154) and primary surgery group (PST, n = 150). Recurrence risks and survival were analyzed.ResultsThe total response rate was 72.1%. For those NAC-responders, NAC decreased the ratio of lymphovascular space invasion (0 vs. 4.7%, p = 0.022; 0 vs. 3.3%, p = 0.052), deep stromal invasion (19.8% vs. 53.5%, p = 0.000; 19.8% vs. 29.3%, p = 0.08), lymph node metastasis (8.1% vs. 25.6%, p = 0.004; 8.1% vs. 17.3%, p = 0.031), and the need of adjuvant radiotherapy (5.5% vs. 30.2%, p = 0.000; 5.4% vs. 15.3%, p = 0.012), whereas improve 5-year PFS rate (94% vs. 86%, p = 0.041; 94% vs. 80%, p = 0.089) and 5-year OS rate (96% vs. 86%, p = 0.015; 96% vs. 82%, p = 0.05), as compared with non-responders and PST. Multivariate analysis suggested that the response to NAC is an independent prognostic factor of PFS (HR 0.221, 95% CI 0.048–1.022, p = 0.053) and OS (HR 0.126, 95% CI 0.016–1.000, p = 0.05); as compared, stage IIA disease demonstrates negative impact upon PFS (HR 4.778, 95% CI 1.490–15.317, p = 0.009) and OS (HR 4.142, 95% CI 1.258–13.639, p = 0.019).ConclusionResponsiveness of NAC before surgery might be an independent prognostic factor for the patients with early stage bulky cervical cancer.

► Prognostic value of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery for early stage bulky cervical cancer is first proposed.
► Negative impact of stage IIA disease upon survival is put forward.