Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus platinum for invasive cervical cancer in pregnancy: two case report and literature review

Background Cervical cancer (including carcinoma in situ) is the most common malignancy during pregnancy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) with paclitaxel plus cisplatin has been used in patients with cervical cancer successfully, but experience of its prenatal treatment is limited. Case report We report two pregnant women with locally advanced cervical cancer. They were treated with cisplatin plus paclitaxel NACT until fetal pulmonary maturity was achieved, and then accepted cesarean section followed by radical hysterectomy. To minimize the chemo-resistant/ radio-resistant tumor cell clones and increase the potencies of NACT, we modified the dose of the chemotherapeutic agents and the treatment interval using cisplatin (50 mg/ m 2 ) and paclitaxel (75 mg/m 2 ) every 2 weeks. Evaluation for clinical response to chemotherapy displayed a partial and complete response, respectively. Both patients had not had any evidence of recurrence for 21 and 13 months. Their children did not have any evidence of malformations and showed normal development at 21 and 13 months of follow-up, respectively. Conclusion Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus cisplatin appears to be feasible and safe for pregnant patients with invasive cervical cancer and infants.