Sustained complete remission after incomplete chemoradiation complicated with pelvic cellulitis in a patient with recurrent cervical carcinoma.

We report on a 52-year-old female patient with a bulky, recurrent cervical carcinoma involving the vagina and bladder, who developed entero-recto-vesicovaginal fistulas and sepsis with pelvic cellulitis after external radiation of 40 Gy and 2 courses of concurrent chemotherapy. Chemoradiation was interrupted and an ileostomy was performed. After recovery, no residual tumor was detectable. Thirteen months after ceasation of chemoradiation, repair of vesicovaginal and rectovaginal fistulas via posterior sagittal approach was performed. Revision of double bowel ileostomy and ileo-T-colostomy was performed 17 months later. The patient enjoyed the restoration of enteral and urinary function only temporarily. She developed rectovesical fistula and underwent an ileostomy again 6 months later. She had another episode of peritonitis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding and expired at 4 years from initiation of salvage therapy. She had no evidence of cancer recurrence during a series of laparotomies and biopsies. The dramatic regression of the tumor may be attributed to its extraordinary radiosensitivity or chemosensitivity. The acute pelvic inflammatory complications may also contribute to the tumor cell killing. The prognosis of recurrent cervical carcinoma is invariably poor except in small tumors confined to vagina. This case gives support to the efficacy of chemoradiation and the potential role of biologic therapy in treatment of this dismal disease.