Purpose: There is no consensus as to the best dose-fractionation regimen in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for cervix cancer. Since 1983, two fractionation regimens have been used in different time periods at National Cancer Center Hospital, and their treatment results have been compared in terms of 5-year survival, local control, and complication rate to find the better therapeutic regimen.
Methods and materials: From November 1983 to October 1990, 130 patients with uterine cervix carcinoma were treated with HDR intracavitary brachytherapy using a remote afterloading system. There were 21 Stage Ib patients, 5 Stage IIa, 29 Stage IIb, 2 Stage IIIa, 68 Stage IIIb, and 5 Stage IVa. The median age was 64 years. The median follow-up time was 50 months. Radiotherapy consisted of external beam irradiation to the pelvis (mean dose of 50 Gy), combined with HDR brachytherapy (mean dose of 20 Gy to point A) given 5 Gy per session twice weekly (group A: 54 patients) or 6 Gy once weekly (group B: 76 patients).
Results: The overall 5-year survival was 52% in group A and 72% in group B. Local recurrence rate was 11%, and distant failure rate was 21%, with no difference between the two groups. The complication rate was significantly lower in group B (37%) than in group A (55%). Multivariate analysis has shown that factors affecting survival were stage, brachytherapy dose, and local control status. No factor was predictive of local control, but the external beam radiation dose significantly influenced the risk of complications.
Conclusion: The once-weekly HDR intracavitary applications combined with properly adjusted external beam pelvic irradiation is a safe and effective treatment for patients with uterine cervix cancer.