Hydralazine and Valproate Plus Cisplatin Chemoradiation in Cervical Cancer

Eligible patients after signing informed consent will undergo study evaluation and then typed for acetylator phenotype before receive either 182 or 83 mg of hydralazine, and magnesium valproate at 30mg/Kg from day -7 to the end of chemoradiation (external and brachytherapy. External beam radiation will be delivered by megavoltage equipment for a dose of 50gy (2Gy fraction from monday to friday) concurrently with cisplatin at 40mg/m2 for six weeks. Within one to two weeks, intracavitary brachytherapy (low-dose rate, Cesium sources) will be delivered to achieve at least 85Gy to point A. A punch biopsy from the primary tumor will be taken at entering the study and at day 8 of hydralazine and valproate treatment (before the first dose of cisplatin and radiation)to assess global gene expression profiling by microarray analysis. Blood samples will be taken to assess global DNA methylation, histone deacetylase activity and plasma levels of hydralazine and valproic acid.

Clinical response and toxicity will be assessed.

Inclusion criteria

• informed consent, histological diagnosis of cervical carcinoma (epidermoid, adenoesquamous and adenocarcinoma), clinical stage III B, untreated, aged 18-70 years, performance status 0-2 according to ECOG classification, and adequate liver, hematological and renal function, as defined by: hemoglobin >10 g/L, leukocytes >4000/mm3, platelets >100 000mm3; normal creatinine value and creatinine clearance >60 mL/min; total bilirubin < 1.5 upper normal limit value; no evidence of systemic disease or para-aortic lymph node involvement.

Exclusion criteria

• History of allergy to hydralazine or valproate; past or present condition of rheumatic disease, central nervous system disease, heart failure from aortic stenosis and postural hypotension as diagnosed by a physician; previous use of the experimental drugs (hydralazine and magnesium valproate) as well as if patients were pregnant or breast-feeding. Other exclusion criteria included uncontrolled systemic disease or infection.