Early clinical outcomes of 3D-conformal radiotherapy using accelerated hyperfractionation without intracavitary brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE To evaluate the outcome of cervical cancer patients unable to undergo conventional intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) treated with 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) alone using accelerated hyperfractionation (AHF). METHODS AND MATERIALS We reviewed the records of 7 patients who had received definitive radiotherapy with 3DCRT alone using AHF for cervical cancer between 2002 and 2005. FIGO stage was IB (1), IIB (2), IIIA (1), IIIB (2), and IVA (1). The reason we did not perform ICBT was due to patient refusal. In 1 patient with stage IB, a total dose of 65.4 Gy was delivered by local irradiation (LI) only. In 1 patient with stage IIIA, a total dose of 60 Gy was delivered by LI only. In 5 patients with Stage IIB-IV, a median total dose of 70.8 Gy was delivered by combination of whole pelvic irradiation (median dose of 45 Gy) with LI. Median overall treatment time was 42 days. RESULTS Median follow-up for survival patients was 17 months. Out of 7 patients, 6 patients had CR and 1 patient had PR. The response rate was 100%. The 2-year local control rate was 85.7%. Of these patients, 5 are alive without disease and 1 is alive with lung metastasis. CONCLUSIONS Our outcomes suggest that 3DCRT using AHF may be a promising as a definitive treatment for cervical cancer when ICBT is not able to be performed.