Diandydrogalactitol and cisplatin in combination for advanced cancer of the uterine cervix

Eighteen evaluable patients with squamous cancer of the uterine cervix recurrent after radiation therapy or with distant metastases were treated with dianhydrogalactitol (150 mg/m²) and cisplatin (DDP) (50 mg/m²), both given iv every 3 weeks. Only 39% of the patients responded, a result no better than that previously reported for DDP alone and only one-half as good as that previously reported by our group for a combination of this drug with mitomycin, vincristine, and bleomycin. Responses lasted a median of only 5 months. Hematologic toxicity was life-threatening in 22% of the patients and was severe in all but 11% of the remaining patients. We conclude that the addition of substantial and toxic doses of dianhydrogalactitol to DDP failed to substantially enhance the rate, quality, or duration of response compared to DDP alone.