Radiochemotherapy to treat cervical cancer
Long-term results
Keywords:
UTERINE CERVICAL NEOPLASMS, RADIOTHERAPY, BRACHYTHERAPYAbstract
Introduction: radiochemotherapy may be used to cure cervical cancer, particularly for patients treated in Uruguayan hospitals, whose diagnosis is made in locally advanced stages. The study aims to analyse therapy results and chronic toxicity of such treatment at the Pereira Rossell Hospital Center (CHPR).
Method: 164 carriers of cervical-uterine cancer who completed the radiochemotherapy treatment between June 2006 and November 2008 were included in the study. External radiochemotherapy consisted in pelvic irradiation (in combination with weekly cisplatin) and uterus-vaginal brachytherapy. Effective biological doses for tumor were calculated, for the rectum and the bladder. Locoregional control rate and survival after 5 years, as well as chronic complications, were analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method.
Results: global five-year survival rate was 67%, there being significant differences between stage II (78%) and stage III (49%) (Log-rank test, p = 0.0002). According to RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) Grade 3/4 chronic complications rate was 1.8% for urinary complications and 3.7% for digestive complications.
Initial local control was 89% and lesion persistence was 10.3%, locoregional recurrence (LR) throughout the period was 19.5%; metastases with and without LR was 10.3%.
Conclusions: therapeutic effectiveness of radiochemotherapy for to treat cervical cancer is confirmed in our context. In most cases recurrence or persistence resulted from lack of locoregional follow-up after initial treatment. Treatment was well tolerated, with low percentage of chronic complications, what is comparable to international literature.
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