Laparoscopy-assisted intracavitary radiotherapy tandem placement for patients with cervical cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the requirement and benefit of laparoscopy-assisted surgical procedures for optimal placement of intracavitary radiotherapy (ICR) tandem in patients with cervical cancer patients.


METHODS
We reviewed a database of 231 cervical cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy and computed tomography-based 3-dimensional ICR planning at our institute between July 2003 and December 2007.


RESULTS
Misplacement of ICR tandem was identified in 12 patients. Optimal placement of ICR tandem was possible in 6 patients under sonographic guidance at the second attempt. Laparoscopy-assisted placement of an ICR tandem was required in 6 patients (2.6%) because of failures of ICR tandem insertion. As a result of this procedure, tandem insertions were corrected in all patients, with the exception of 1 patient who initially presented with fixed pelvic wall disease with an acute angle between the uterine body and the cervical axis. Laparoscopic procedures were tolerable with a median operative time of 68 minutes and an estimated blood loss of less than 20 mL. There were no complications related to the laparoscopic procedures. All the patients remain free of local disease at the time of this writing. There was 1 patient with grade 4 late radiation toxicity of the bowel who developed a rectovaginal fistula 3 months after completion of ICR.


CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopy-assisted placement of an ICR tandem was required in 2.6% of the patients with primary advanced cervical cancer. Laparoscopy-assisted placement of an ICR tandem allows optimal implementation of ICR in difficult cases without causing significant morbidity and without delaying the planned ICR.
Lim
Myong Cheol
MC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyunghee University Medical College, Seoul, Korea.
Jung
Dae Chul
DC
Kim
Joo-Young
JY
Park
Sang-Yoon
SY
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000009:adverse effects; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D014595:Uterine Perforation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology