Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Gynecologic Cancers

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is introduced in many gynecologic cancers such as cervical and ovarian cancer. The aim of using neoadjuvant chemotherapy is to reduce the tumor size prior to the principle treatment, either radiation or surgery. The benefit of reducing tumor size can increase the operability and decrease the morbidity in many types of gynecologic cancers. Besides this, neoadjuvant chemotherapy might control the micrometastatic disease to decrease the distant metastasis (Benedetti-Panici et al., 1998; Buda et al., 2005; Chua, 2010). On the other hand, in patients who did not respond to chemotherapy, however, the administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy risks delaying the principle treatment. In this chapter, literature pertaining to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for gynecologic cancer will be presented in five parts, categorized by types of cancers; cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, vulvar cancer, and vaginal cancer.