J Gynecol Oncol.  2015 Jul;26(3):193-200. 10.3802/jgo.2015.26.3.193.

High-dose oral tegafur-uracil maintenance therapy in patients with uterine cervical cancer

• Sakaguchi
• Motohara T
• Saito F
• Takaishi K
• Fukumatsu
• Tohya T
• Shibata S
• Mimori H
• Tashiro H
• Katabuchi

• KMID: 2160805
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3802/jgo.2015.26.3.193

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and toxicity of oral administration of tegafur-uracil (UFT) at a high dose, 600 mg/day, based on the tegafur dose, against uterine cervical cancer.
METHODS
This study consisted of a retrospective analysis. From April 1986 to March 1997, 309 patients with uterine cervical cancer were registered. Oral UFT was administered to 162 patients for maintenance therapy after an initial treatment (the UFT group). The other 147 patients were not treated with UFT (the control group). The survival rate was calculated for both groups and statistically analyzed using the log-rank test. Adverse events were compared between the UFT and control groups.
RESULTS
In the UFT group, 103 patients (63.6%) received UFT for > or =90 days. The drug dose was 600 mg/day for 137 patients (84.6%) and 300 to 400 mg/day for the remainder. The overall survival rate was significantly higher in the UFT group than in the control group (p<0.05). The prognosis was particularly favorable in stage III cases, in cases of squamous cell carcinoma, and in cases that were treated by radiotherapy. The most frequent side effects were nausea/vomiting (12.2%), appetite loss (10.1%), and leukopenia/neutropenia (5.8%).
CONCLUSION
High-dose oral UFT maintenance treatment prolonged the disease-free survival and overall survival of patients with uterine cervical cancer, particularly of those with advanced disease.

Keyword

Follow-up Studies; Maintenance Chemotherapy; Survival Rate; Tegafur; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Administration, Oral
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/*therapeutic use
Disease-Free Survival
Female
Humans
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
Middle Aged
Retrospective Studies
Tegafur/administration & dosage/adverse effects
Treatment Outcome
Uracil/administration & dosage/adverse effects
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*drug therapy/mortality
Tegafur
Uracil

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Survival curves among 309 patients with uterine cervical cancer in the tegafur-uracil (UFT) and the control group. Kaplan-Meier estimates of (A) the overall survival (p=0.049), (B) the disease-free survival (p=0.076).

• 

  Fig. 2 Survival curves of the tegafur-uracil (UFT)-treated patients between those who received the drug for ≥90 days and <90 days. Kaplan-Meier estimates of (A) the overall survival (p=0.001), (B) disease-free survival (p=0.001).

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