Chemoradiotherapy treatment with gemcitabine improves renal function in locally advanced cervical cancer patients with renal dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer (CC) in Mexico is diagnosed mainly in locally advanced (LACC) and advanced (ACC) stages, where ureteral obstruction is more frequent. The standard treatment for this population is concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with cisplatin, which is nephrotoxic and could lead to further deterioration of renal function in LACC patients with renal function decline. We aimed to evaluate the effect of CCRT with Gemcitabine on renal function in LACC patients.

METHODS: This retrospective study included LACC patients treated with CCRT with Gemcitabine as a radiosensitizer from February 2003 to December 2018. Data were collected from medical archives and electronic records. We assessed renal function before and after CCRT treatment and analyzed the patient's response to treatment and survival.

RESULTS: 351 LACC patients treated were included and stratified into two groups: 198 with Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) ≥60ml/min (group A) and 153 with GFR<60ml/min (group B). An improvement in GFR was observed after CCRT in patients in group B, from 33 ml/min to 57.5 ml/min (p<0.001). Complete response was observed in 64.1% of patients in Group A and 43.8% in Group B (p<0.0001). Factors associated with increased risk of death included having a GFR of 15-29 ml/min (HR: 2.17; 1.08-4.35), having GFR<15 ml/min (HR: 3.08; 1.63-5.79), and receiving Boost treatment (HR: 2.09; 1.18-3.69). On the other hand, receiving brachytherapy is a positive predictor for OS (HR:0.51; 0.31-0.84).

CONCLUSION: CCRT with gemcitabine is an appropriate treatment option for patients diagnosed with LACC who present impaired renal function due to the disease's obstructive nature or other comorbidities.