Chemo-predictive assay directs neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced cervical cancer.

e15517 Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a treatment option for locally advanced cervical cancer. Short induction times and early responses are associated with improved outcomes. Selecting treatment based on in-vitro chemoresponse assessment of individual patients’ tumors may be clinically useful. Methods: Retrospective database review of a commercially available assay (ChemoFx) and a subset chart review. Results: In a convenient sample from Jan 2009-Sept 2010, 539 cervical cancer specimens were submitted for ChemoFx testing (Precision Therapeutics, Pittsburgh). The assay was successful in 328 (60.9%) of the specimens. 119 assay terminations occurred due to failure to pass a quality assurance step (i.e. insufficient epithelial cells to test), while only 5 specimens could not be tested due to contamination (bacterial, fungal, or yeast). A heat map indicated that the carbo/paclitaxel combination is usually an active regimen and docetaxel is not. In our practice, from Feb 2008 to present, 10 patients (...