Concurrent cisplatin-based radiotherapy and chemotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer

The addition of cisplatin to chemotherapy for advanced cervical cancer appears to improve a woman's prognosis. Researchers randomly assigned 526 women with advanced cervical cancer to receive cisplatin alone, hydroxyurea alone, or cisplatin and hydroxyurea and fluorouracil. All the women also received radiation treatment. Cisplatin either alone or in combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by almost half compared to hydroxyurea alone. Survival rates were also higher in the women who received cisplatin compared to those who received hydroxyurea alone.