Concurrent chemoradiotherapy incorporating high-dose rate brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical carcinoma: survival outcomes, patterns of failure, and prognostic factors.
BACKGROUND
This is a retrospective study evaluating the survival outcomes, patterns of failure, and prognostic factors of chemoradiotherapy incorporating high-dose rate brachytherapy in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer.


METHODS
A review of 120 consecutive patients with Federation Internationale de Gynecologie et d'Obstetrique (FIGO) stages IB2 to IVA cervical cancer treated with concurrent cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy between April 1999 and January 2005. Overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
The 5-year OS and DFS rates were, respectively, 65.0% (35.0% IB2, 65.7% IIA-B, 71.0% IIIA-B, and 40.0% IVA) and 57.3% (30.0% IB2, 58.2% IIA-B, 64.0% IIIA-B, and 40.0% IVA). Most patients had squamous cell carcinoma (89.2%) and belonged to FIGO stages IIB (40.8%) and IIIB (30.8%). All but 4 patients completed the planned radiotherapy regimen. There were 48 documented recurrences, of which 13 were locoregional only, 26 were distant only, and 9 were both sites. Five patients (4.2%) experienced late grade 3 to 4 gastrointestinal toxicity. On multivariate analysis, a preradiotherapy hemoglobin level of less than 10 g/dL and tumor size of 4 cm or greater or bulky on computed tomography were independently significant variables for OS, whereas a nadir hemoglobin level of less than 10 g/dL and presence of radiologically enlarged pelvic or paraaortic lymph nodes were independently significant variables for DFS.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that this regimen is efficacious and feasible, but the safety profile about concurrent administration of high-dose rate brachytherapy and chemotherapy should be studied further. Finally, for cervical cancer patients selected for nonsurgical treatment, radiological assessment of tumor size and lymph node status can provide valuable prognostic information over and above FIGO staging alone.
Teh
Jonathan
J
Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Dr, Singapore 169610, Republic of Singapore. jonteh@gmail.com
Yap
Swee Peng
SP
Tham
Ivan
I
Sethi
Vijay K
VK
Chua
Eu Jin
EJ
Yeo
Richard
R
Ho
Tew Hong
TH
Tay
Eng Hseon
EH
Chia
Yin Nin
YN
Soh
Lay Tin
LT
Khoo-Tan
Hoon Seng
HS
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*