Dramatic Radiographic Response of Pelvis-Filling Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer Treated With Radiation and Chemotherapy

TL;DR

An elderly patient with advanced cervical cancer showed a complete response to combined radiation and chemotherapy.

Contribution

Demonstrates successful treatment of pelvis-filling cervical cancer in an older patient using chemoradiation.

Findings

A five-week chemoradiation course led to complete disappearance of the cervical mass.

Post-treatment MRI showed no evidence of disease.

Right-sided hydronephrosis improved following treatment.

Abstract

Locally advanced cervical cancers are often treated with palliative intent due to concerns that the tumor is too far advanced or too large to be treated curatively. Also, patients greater than 65 years of age with cervical cancer are sometimes regarded as being too old or too frail to be cured with combined radiation and chemotherapy. These patients are often treated with radiation alone or with palliative therapy. Understanding the treatment modalities for cervical cancer is essential, as they can be complex and unique to each patient's specific diagnosis. This case report aims to describe the dramatic response to treatment with combined radiation and chemotherapy for a patient greater than 65 years of age with pelvis-filling cervical cancer with right-sided hydronephrosis. After a five-week course of concurrent chemoradiation, the cervical mass radiographically completely disappeared, with no evidence of disease noted on pelvic MRI.

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