Interstitial fluid pressure as a prognostic factor in cervical cancer following radiation therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate tumor interstitial fluid pressure as a prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival in patients with cervical cancer following radiation therapy.


METHODS
Tumor interstitial fluid pressure was measured in 55 cervical cancer patients who received radiation therapy between August 1998 and September 2002. Interstitial fluid pressure measurements were made before radiation therapy (pre-radiation therapy interstitial fluid pressure) and after a median of 28.8 Gy in 16 fractions (range, 25.2-30.6 Gy in 14-17 fractions) of radiation therapy (mid-radiation therapy interstitial fluid pressure), using a modified wick-in-needle technique. Median follow-up was 74 months (range, 2-118 months). The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test and Cox's proportional hazard model were used in univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively, of prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival.


RESULTS
Median pre-radiation therapy and mid-radiation therapy interstitial fluid pressure were 29.0 mm Hg (range, 4.0-93.9 mm Hg) and 20.0 mm Hg (range, -1.2 to 29.6 mm Hg), respectively (P = 0.001). Pre-radiation therapy interstitial fluid pressure was significantly higher in adenocarcinomas than squamous cell carcinomas (P = 0.028). Significant reduction of interstitial fluid pressure was noted only in patients with complete responses (P = 0.002), and mid-radiation therapy interstitial fluid pressure was significantly lower in patients with complete responses (P = 0.036). In the multivariate analysis including interstitial fluid pressures and clinical variables, pre-radiation therapy interstitial fluid pressure was an independent prognostic factor for local and distant recurrence-free survival (P = 0.001 and 0.027, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Mid-radiation therapy interstitial fluid pressure measurement may be useful in predicting radiation therapy responses, and pre-radiation therapy interstitial fluid pressure was a significant prognostic factor for local and distant relapse-free survival in patients with cervical cancer after radiation therapy.
Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Seung-Gu
SG
Yeo
Jun-Sang
JS
Kim
Moon-June
MJ
Cho
Ki-Hwan
KH
Kim
Jae-Sung
JS
Kim
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D045604:Extracellular Fluid / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*