Hydroxyurea: a radiation potentiator in carcinoma of the uterine cervix. A randomized double-blind study
From June, 1972, to December, 1976, 40 patients with FIGO (International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics) Stage IIB carcinoma of the uterine cervix were entered into a prospective, double-blind, randomized study to evaluate the possible radiation-potentiating properties (i.e., improved survival) of the S-phase cell cycle-specific inhibitor of DNA synthesis, hydroxyurea. All patients were documented to be without aortic lymph node metastasis by pretherapy staging para-aortic lymphadenectomy. All 40 patients were followed up for longer than 5 years (5.2 to 9.2 years) or until death. The double-blind code was not broken until all patients had been followed up for a minimum of 2 to 5 years. Leukopenia (white blood cell count less than 2,500 mm3) was significantly increased in the patients given hydroxyurea as compared to those given placebo (P less than 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference relative to anemia, thrombocytopenia, radiation-induced skin reaction, and radiation-induced intestinal reaction between the patients given placebo or those given hydroxyurea. Life-table survival for the patients given hydroxyurea was 94% as compared to 53% for the patients given placebo (P . 0.006). Only one (5%) patient given hydroxyurea died of cervical cancer. Of the other patients who died in the group given hydroxyurea, all were confirmed by postmortem examination to have been without recurrent cervical cancer. In contrast, 45% (nine) of the patients given placebo died of cervical cancer.
- Research Organization:
- Roswell Park Memorial Inst., Buffalo
- OSTI ID:
- 6904971
- Journal Information:
- Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.; (United States) Vol. 147:7; ISSN AJOGA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AMIDES
ANEMIAS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
CARBONIC ACID DERIVATIVES
CARCINOMAS
CHEMOTHERAPY
DISEASES
FEMALE GENITALS
HEMIC DISEASES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LEUKOPENIA
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOLOGY
RADIOSENSITIVITY EFFECTS
RADIOTHERAPY
SURVIVAL TIME
SYMPTOMS
THERAPY
TIME DEPENDENCE
UREA
UTERUS