Combination therapy with topotecan, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab improves progression-free survival in recurrent small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix

Objectives To assess if the combination of topotecan, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab (TPB) was active in recurrent SCCC and to compare the survival of patients with SCCC who received TPB to a group of women with SCCC who did not receive this regimen. Methods We retrospectively analyzed women with recurrent SCCC who received chemotherapy as primary therapy. Women treated with TPB for first recurrence were compared to women treated with non-TPB chemotherapy. Results Thirteen patients received TPB, and 21 received non-TPB chemotherapy, most commonly platinum with or without a taxane. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.8 months for TPB and 4.0 months for non-TPB regimens (hazard ratio [HR] 0.21, 95% CI 0.09-0.54, P = 0.001). Median overall survival (OS) was 9.7 months for TPB and 9.4 months for non-TPB regimens (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.23–1.22, P = 0.13). Eight women (62%) who received TPB versus four (19%) who received non-TPB regimens were on treatment for > 6 months (P = 0.02), and four patients (31%) in the TPB group versus two (10%) in the non-TPB group were on treatment for > 12 months (P = 0.17). In the TPB group, three patients (23%) had complete response, two (15%) had complete response outside the brain with progression in the brain, 3 (23%) had a partial response, 2 (15%) had stable disease, and 3 (23%) had progressive disease. Conclusions These findings indicate that TPB for recurrent SCCC significantly improved PFS over non-TPB regimens, and trends towards improved OS. Furthermore, a significant number of patients had a durable clinical benefit.