title: Impact of overall treatment time on local control of anal cancer treated with radiochemotherapy.
abstract: Between 1987 and 2000, 111 patients with epidermoid anal cancer (T1-T4 Nx M0) were assigned to primary simultaneous radiochemotherapy (RCT) with a radiation dose of 45 Gy, performed either as a split course with 2-Gy single fractions (schedule A, 1987-1996, n = 65 patients) or continuously with fractions of 1.8 Gy (schedule B, 1996-2000; n = 38 patients). The chemotherapy consisted of continuous infusions of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; 800/1,000 mg/m(2)/day, on 4/5 consecutive days, during weeks 1 and 5) together with one (schedule A) or two (schedule B) short infusions of mitomycin C (10 mg/m(2)) during the first course of 5-FU. Associations between clinical outcome and various prognostic factors were assessed in 103 patients who completed these schedules. For both patient groups combined, 5-year local control rate was 67% and 5-year survival rate 71%. Advanced tumor stage, size, and nodal status significantly decreased the 5-year local control rate as well as the overall treatment time (OTT) >41 days (58% for OTT >41 days vs. 79% for OTT < or =41 days; p = 0.04). However, we did not find a correlation with the prescribed radiotherapy schedule (A or B). In conclusion, in patients with anal carcinomas treated with RCT with a radiation dose of 45 Gy, the predominant determinant of local control is the resulting OTT and not the administration schedule (split course or continuous radiotherapy).
authors.affiliation: Center of Radiation Medicine, Campus Virchow Clinic, Charité Medical School, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wust
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gögler
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ullrich
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riess
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Felix
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013557:Switzerland; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016685:Mitomycin; D005472:Fluorouracil