Purpose: Gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine) is an antineoplastic agent with activity against a variety of solid tumors. To investigate its in vitro activity toward cervical cancer, we exposed six cervical cancer cell lines to gemcitabine.
Methods: Combinational cytotoxic studies using viability tests and clonogenicity assays.
Results: Gemcitabine was cytostatic and cytotoxic in some of the lines at peak plasma concentrations similar to those achieved in clinical trials. Gemcitabine was also found to effectively synergize with cisplatin and showed a radiosensitizing effect in these cells. The cytotoxicity observed in sensitive cell lines was due to apoptosis, as demonstrated by DNA fragmentation assays.
Conclusions: We recommend performing additional in vitro experimentation so that these results can be confirmed to support clinical trials of gemcitabine in cervical cancer patients both as first-line therapy and with concomitant radiation.