Comparison between paclitaxel plus cisplatin and paclitaxel plus carboplatin in the treatment of advanced cervical cancer

Objective: To compare the efficacy and toxicity of paclitaxel plus cisplatin and paclitaxel plus carboplatin in the treatment of advanced cervical cancer.Methods: Between January 2007 and September 2010,93 cervical cancer patients with stage Ⅱb to Ⅳa who received Initial radical radiotherapy in our hospital.All cases were divided into two groups according to different chemotherapy regimens,the group receiving paclitaxel plus cisplatin chemotherapy every three weeks(group A,n=44),the group receiving paclitaxel plus carboplatin chemotherapy every three weeks(group B,n=49),Group A and Group B all adopt radical radiotherapy(external radiotherapy plus intracavitary brachytherapy),five times a week.Situation of efficacy and toxicity occurred were compared after the end of treatment.Results: The response rate(CR+PR) in group A was 91% and in group B was 94%,in which there was no significant difference(P=0.704).The three-year overall survival and the three-year progression-free survival of group A and group B were respectively 65.9% vs 61.2%(P0.05) and 52.3% vs 49.0%(P0.05).There were also no statistically significant differences between group A and group B in the three-year local recurrence rate and three-year distant metastasis(13.6% vs 12.2%,34.1% vs 38.8%;all P0.05).Gastrointestinal reaction,renal dysfunction,myalgia or arthralgia and Peripheral neurotoxicity in group A was exactly higher than those in group B(P0.05).Conclusions:Both chemotherapy regimens had similar efficacy on advanced cervical cancer patients with stage Ⅱb to Ⅳa.But the toxicity was milder in patients with paclitaxel plus carboplatin than those with paclitaxel plus cisplatin,paclitaxel plus carboplatin is easy to be accepted by patients,and is especially suitable for the elderly and the patients with low tolerance to cisplatin.