Tolerance and efficacy of preoperative intracavitary HDR brachytherapy in IB and IIA cervical cancer

PURPOSE The aim of this work is to analyze the efficacy and tolerance of preoperative intracavitary HDR brachytherapy (HDR-BT) in patients with IB and IIA cervical cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS 139 patients with cervical cancer IB-IIA with preoperative HDR-BT, out of which 60 patients with cervical cancer IB (43.2%) and 79 with IIA (56.8%) were treated since 1996 to 2002. In preoperative BT total dose to point A ranged from 30-45 Gy in 6-9 fractions twice a week. The fraction dose was 4-5 Gy at point A. Six weeks after BT all patients underwent radical Wertheim-Meigs hysterectomy. Patients with disadvantageous risk factors or with positive specimen histology had a complementary therapy: external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) given to the whole pelvic volume in daily fractions of 2 Gy up to total dose of 36-52 Gy (20 patients) or EBRT with cisplatin-based chemotherapy with the dose of 30-40 mg/m2 in 5-7 fractions given weekly (7 patients) or chemotherapy (6 patients). Acute and late radiation toxicity was evaluated according to EORTC/RTOG. RESULTS In postoperative specimen histopathology the number of 114 women (82%) had tumor-free specimen within brachytherapy target (in cervix and cavity), 96 women (60.1%) had tumor-free specimen both in and outside brachytherapy target (lymph nodes, parametra, adnexis). The 5-year and 10-year DFS were 93.8% and 88% for IB and 89.7% and 64.7% for IIA respectively. 7.9% of patients developed acute toxicity both in rectum and bladder (only in I and II grade of EORTC/RTOG). Late severe complication occurred in rectum in 2.2% of patients and in bladder 1.4%. CONCLUSIONS 1. Preoperative HDR-BT in patients with IB and IIA cervical cancer is an effective and well tolerated therapy with acceptable rate of side effects. 2. Preoperative HDR-BT followed by surgery in a group without risk factors is a sufficient treatment option with no additional adjuvant therapy requirement.