The intrinsic radiosensitivity of cervical carcinoma: correlations with clinical data.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the work were to study the intrinsic radiosensitivity of tumor biopsies from patients with cervical carcinoma and to correlate the data with information on patient age, disease stage, differentiation status, tumor volume, and tumor ploidy.


METHODS
Radiosensitivity was assessed for 145 tumors in vitro as surviving fraction at 2 Gy (SF2) using a clonogenic assay.


RESULTS
Although the clonogens in tumors classified as Stage I or II tended to be more radiosensitive than in Stage III or IV disease, the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.15). There was also no significant difference in the intrinsic radiosensitivity of well, moderately, or poorly differentiated tumors or between squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma (p > 0.53). There was no correlation between patient age and tumor radiosensitivity (p = 0.49). Large volume (> or = 4 cm) disease was more radioresistant than small volume (< 4 cm) disease, but the difference was not significant (p = 0.08). Finally, diploid tumors tended to be more radioresistant than aneuploid tumors (p = 0.07).


CONCLUSIONS
The intrinsic radiosensitivity of cervix tumors is independent of disease stage, tumor grade, and patient age. Weak trends, however, were observed of increased tumor radioresistance for large volume disease and diploid tumors, suggesting that tumor SF2 may not be a completely independent parameter.
Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester.
C M
CM
West
S E
SE
Davidson
P A
PA
Burt
R D
RD
Hunter
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011003:Ploidies; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*