title: Conventional radiation therapy of cervical cancer.
abstract: This review of the present literature about the conventional management of patients with definitive radiotherapy for invasive carcinoma of the cervix will focus on advances in the use of external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) as well as in the administration of low-dose-rate brachytherapy for the delivery of radiotherapy. Important concepts discussed include: techniques and dose fractionation for EBRT; newer imaging modalities for administration of EBRT; construction of the midline shield for external irradiation of the pelvic nodes following brachytherapy; the role of elective para-aortic nodal external radiotherapy; and the adequate number of brachytherapy applications needed to impact on patient outcome. Considerable attention will be given to multi-institutional clinical data (e.g., the Patterns of Care Study and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) to illustrate advances in radiotherapy of patients with cervical carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Wolfson
mesh_terms: D001918:Brachytherapy; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*