Treatment of endometrial carcinoma with radiation therapy alone

Image-guided high-dose-rate brachytherapy as the method of choice in medically inoperable early-stage endometrial cancer patients

PURPOSE

About 3-9% of patients with endometrial cancer are unable to undergo surgery due to medical comorbidities, including morbid obesity, or age-related frailty syndrome. An alternative curative option is irradiation. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy (HDR-ICBT) treatment in such patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventy-eight patients with FIGO stage I-II endometrial cancer disqualified from surgery were treated with HDR-ICBT with 45-52,5 Gy prescribed to high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) in 5-9 fractions given once a week. All fractions were planned using computed tomography (CT) scans.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 67 months. Median age was 79 years (range: 42-93 years). Median body mass index (BMI) was 39,1 kg/m2 (range: 24,2-68 kg/m2). We observed no statistically significant impact of BMI ≥ 40 on overall survival (OS) or prgression free survival (PFS). The 3- and 5-year OS for the whole population were 69% and 55%, respectively. The impact of high risk features (FIGO II, grade 3 or type 2 cancer) on OS was significant (p = 0,049). The 5-year cumulative incidence of local failure, distant metastases and non-cancer death were 12,9% [95% CI: 5,4%-20,5%], 6,4% [95% CI: 0,9%-11,9%], 33,1% [95% CI: 22,3%-43,9%], respectively. The 5-year risk of cancer and non-cancer death were 9% (95% CI: 3%-16%) and 36% (95% CI: 25%-47%), respectively. We observed G1 vaginal apex stenosis only.

CONCLUSIONS

CT-guided HDR-ICBT is a feasible and safe management of FIGO stage I endometrial cancer in obese and elderly patients. The survival outcome of the treated group is influenced more by associated comorbidities than by the progression of endometrial cancer.

What is appropriate target delineation for MRI-based brachytherapy for medically inoperable endometrial cancer?

PURPOSE

For medically inoperable endometrial cancer (MIEC), the volumetric target of image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) techniques is not well established. We propose a high-risk CTV (HRCTV) concept and report associated rates of local control and toxicity.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

For all MIEC patients receiving definitive external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) followed by MRI-based IGBT at a single institution, BT dose was prescribed to HRCTV defined as GTV plus endometrial cavity with a planning goal of a summed EQD2 D90 of ≥85 Gy. Freedom from local progression (FFLP) and overall survival (OS) were estimated via Kaplan Meier method.

RESULTS

Thirty two MIEC patients received EBRT followed by MRI-based IGBT between December 2015 and August 2020. Median follow up was 19.8 months. A total of 75% of patients had FIGO stage I/II disease, 56% endometrioid histology, and 50% grade 3 disease. OS was 73.6% (95% CI 57.8%-89.3%) at 12 months and 65.8% (95% CI 48.4%-83.2%) at 24 months. FFLP was 93.8% (95% CI 85.3%-100%) at 12 months and 88.8% (95% CI 86.6%-91.0%) at 24 months. 23 (72%) patients experienced no RT-related toxicity, while 2 of 32 patients (6%) experienced late grade 3+ toxicities (grade 3 refractory vomiting; grade 5 GI bleed secondary to RT-induced proctitis).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with MIEC receiving definitive EBRT followed by MRI-based IGBT prescribed to the MRI-defined HRCTV demonstrated favorable long-term local control with an acceptable toxicity profile.

Management of inoperable endometrial cancer

Some endometrial cancer (EMC) patients are not good candidates for primary surgery. The three major types of treatment for inoperable EMC are radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or their combination as neoadjuvant treatment before surgery. Radiation therapy alone (of different modes) has been used as the sole definitive therapeutic modality, particularly for early-stage disease that is limited to the uterine body and cervix with or without parametrial invasion. The most common treatment modality is neoadjuvant treatment before surgery. Postoperative adjuvant treatment is also occasionally used, depending mainly on the sites of the disease and the results of surgery. Data on neoadjuvant hormonal or radiation therapy are limited, with studies focusing on laboratory outcomes or having only a small number of patients. Most neoadjuvant treatments before surgery involved chemotherapy and fewer combined chemoradiotherapy. Surgery was generally performed, particularly in patients who had shown responses or at least stable disease to neoadjuvant treatment. Perioperative outcomes after neoadjuvant treatment were superior to those after primary surgery, whereas survival data were still inconsistent. Features that had or tended to have a favorable prognosis were younger age, early-stage disease, response to neoadjuvant treatment, low preoperative cancer antigen-125 level, and optimal surgery. Among different modalities of neoadjuvant treatment, which has become a frequent mode of treatment, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was more common than radiation therapy alone or chemoradiation.

Radiation therapy in the definitive management of medically inoperable endometrial cancer

The incidence of endometrial cancer continues to increase worldwide with growing life expectancy and rates of obesity. While endometrial cancer is primarily a surgical disease managed with hysterectomy, a small proportion of patients are deemed to be poor surgical candidates due to their co-morbidities. These medically inoperable patients should be considered for curative treatment with definitive radiation therapy, and brachytherapy is an integral component of their care. Referral to a high-volume center early on in the care of potentially inoperable patients is crucial to optimize their management. These patients should be evaluated by a high-risk surgical and anesthesia team to confirm their medical inoperability. For inoperable patients, use of image-guided brachytherapy is encouraged. Brachytherapy applicator selection is determined based on a patient’s anatomy, uterine size, and extent of tumor. Advances in anatomic and functional imaging including multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have improved clinical staging of these patients and have also allowed for the delivery of three-dimensional image-guided brachytherapy with improved accuracy. With recent consensus guidelines to guide local computed tomography and/or MRI volume-based delineation of targets and organs-at-risk, local outcomes have improved and treatments are delivered with less acute and late morbidity. Ongoing trials are looking at novel systemic agents, such as immunotherapy, to induce a systemic anti-tumor immune response and improve outcomes in these patients.

Association Between Radiotherapy and Death From Cardiovascular Disease Among Patients With Cancer: A Large Population‐Based Cohort Study

Background

This study aimed to investigate the association between radiotherapy for cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths and evaluate the relative risk for CVD deaths in the general population and among patients with cancer treated with radiotherapy.

Methods and Results

The statistics of cancers from 16 sites were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and evaluated. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to analyze the association between radiotherapy and cardiovascular‐specific survival. The standardized mortality ratio for CVD deaths was estimated by comparing the observed deaths of patients with cancer treated with radiotherapy to the expected deaths of the general population. Of the 2 214 944 patients identified from the database, 292 102 (13.19%) died from CVD. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses demonstrated that radiotherapy was an independent risk factor for cardiovascular‐specific survival among patients with lung and bronchus, cervix uteri, corpus uteri, and urinary bladder cancers. The long‐term cardiovascular‐specific survival of patients with cancer who underwent radiotherapy was significantly lower than that of patients who did not undergo radiotherapy. The incidence of CVD deaths among patients with lung and bronchus, cervix uteri, corpus uteri, and urinary bladder cancers who underwent radiotherapy was higher than that among the general population. Standardized mortality ratio significantly decreased with increasing age at cancer diagnosis, gradually decreased within 10 years of diagnosis and increased after 10 years of diagnosis.

Conclusions

Radiotherapy is associated with worse cardiovascular‐specific survival in patients with lung and bronchus, cervix uteri, corpus uteri, and urinary bladder cancers. Long‐term surveillance of cardiovascular conditions should be performed after radiotherapy.

Patterns of care and outcomes of radiotherapy or hormone therapy in patients with medically inoperable endometrial adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The optimal treatment for medically inoperable endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma is unknown. The goal of this study was to evaluate the patterns of care and efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) or hormone therapy (HT) in the treatment of these patients.

METHODS

We performed a query of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) of patients with medically inoperable endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the endometrium diagnosed between 2004 and 2016 and treated with either RT or HT. A multivariate Cox regression model and propensity weighted analyses were used to evaluate overall survival after controlling for confounding variables. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to assess predictors of RT or HT use.

RESULTS

A total of 1036 patients were included in this cohort, and 73% (n = 759) were treated with RT alone. Patients who received definitive HT compared to RT were more likely to be older, diagnosed in the earlier years of this analysis, treated at lower-case volume centers, diagnosed with high-grade disease, or located outside of metropolitan areas. On multivariate analysis, treatment with HT alone versus RT alone was associated with significantly worse overall survival in the multivariate Cox model but not on propensity score weighted analysis. Interaction effect testing revealed that older patients and those treated at lower-volume centers had improved survival with RT compared to HT.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified factors associated with the receipt of RT or HT in medically inoperable endometrial cancer patients. Treatment with RT correlated with improved survival compared to HT in older patients and those treated at lower-volume centers.

High Dose Rate Brachytherapy for Inoperable Endometrial Cancer: a Case Series and Systematic Review of the Literature

Endometrial cancer is a common gynaecological cancer, is typically early stage and treated with surgery. For patients where surgery is difficult or dangerous, definitive radiation therapy is the next best option. This study included a single institution case series (step 1) and a systematic review of the literature (step 2). In step 1, all endometrial cancer cases that were treated with definitive image-guided brachytherapy at a single institution from 2008 to 2020 were retrospectively analysed. In step 2, a systematic review of Medline (PubMed) from 1975 to 2020 was carried out using the key words around endometrial cancer and brachytherapy, followed by a narrative synthesis. In total, in step 1, 31 cases were included in this study, stages I-IV, with 96.7% receiving external beam radiation. All patients received three fractions of 7.5 Gy or five fractions of 6 Gy high dose rate brachytherapy, with a median EQD2 of 75.55 (40-84.3). The 2-year Kaplan-Meier (KM) local control was 83.1% and the 2-year KM overall survival was 77.4%. There was no late toxicity ≥grade 3. In step 2, 19 articles were included in the final analysis, with between six and 280 patients. The local control ranged from 70 to 100%, with low toxicity. Definitive radiation therapy with image-guided brachytherapy seems to have good local control with low toxicity for patients who are poor surgical candidates.

Radiotherapy and Its Intersections with Surgery in the Management of Localized Gynecological Malignancies: A Comprehensive Overview for Clinicians

Surgery, including minimally invasive surgery, and radiotherapy are key modalities in the treatment of gynecological malignancies. The aim of this review is to offer the multidisciplinary care team a comprehensive summary of the intersections of surgery and radiotherapy in the local treatment of gynecological malignancies. Recent advances in radiotherapy are highlighted. Relevant publications were identified through a review of the published literature. Ovarian, endometrial, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancer were included in the search. Current guidelines are summarized. The role of radiotherapy in adjuvant as well as definitive treatment of these entities is synthesized and put into context with surgery, focusing on survival and quality of life. Although these outcomes have improved recently, further research must be focused on the number of life years lost, and the potential morbidity encountered by patients.

Image-guided tandem and cylinder brachytherapy as monotherapy for definitive treatment of inoperable endometrial carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Management of endometrial cancer consists of surgical staging with adjuvant therapy guided by risk factors, though some women cannot undergo surgery due to comorbidities. We present a series of women treated with definitive high-dose rate image-guided tandem and cylinder brachytherapy (HDR-IGBT) alone.

METHODS

Patients with grade 1-2, clinical stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma, <50% myometrial invasion, and tumor≤2cm were reviewed. Definitive treatment consisted of 5-6 fractions HDR-IGBT alone with CT- or MRI-based planning. Local-regional control (LRC) was defined as complete imaging response and/or cessation of vaginal bleeding.

RESULTS

From 2007 to 2016, 45 patients were treated to a median dose of 37.5Gy. The median gross tumor volume (GTV) and clinical target volume (CTV) were 5.9cm³ (range, 0.7-18.7) and 80.9cm³ (17.2-159.0), respectively. The median cumulative dose to 90% (D90) of the GTV was 132.8Gy (76.5-295.6) equivalent 2Gy dose, and the median CTV D90 was 49.7Gy (34.5-57.2). Median follow-up among living patients was 18.6months (3.0-64.3). Cessation of vaginal bleeding occurred in 98%. Among those with post-treatment MRI (64%), complete radiographic response was demonstrated in 90%. The 2-year LRC, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival rates were 90%, 86%, and 97%, respectively. No grade 3+ acute or late toxicity was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

HDR-IGBT alone for treatment of early-stage, medically inoperable endometrial cancer is feasible with excellent response rates and clinical results. This approach also allows sparing of critical organs and ensures target coverage, which contributed to the low toxicity rate and high LRC in comparison with 2D point-based series.

Comparison of 2D vs. 3D Dosimetry for Rotte ‘Y’ Applicator High Dose Rate Brachytherapy for Medically Inoperable Endometrial Cancer

The purpose of our research is to compare CT-based volumetric calculations and International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) reference-point estimates of radiation doses to the target volume, bladder, rectum, and sigmoid colon in patients with carcinoma of the endometrium treated with high dose rate intracavitary Rotte ‘Y’ applicator brachytherapy (HDRB). Eleven patients with cancer of the endometrium were treated with CT-compatible HDR intracavitary Rotte ‘Y’ applicators (Nucletron) and underwent post-implant pelvic CT scans with applicators in place. All patients were treated using orthogonal radiography-based planning. The dose was prescribed to uterine point (a point located 2 cm below the center of a line drawn between the tips of the two ends of the Rotte applicator extending laterally from the tandem by half the maximum uterine width), Point A, and 0.5 cm depth along the upper 3 cm vagina. CT-images were transferred to the PLATO treatment planning system version 14.2.6 and retrospectively planned for volumetric calculations. The clinical target volume (CTV) included the entire uterus, cervix, and upper 3 cm of vagina. The volumes of organs at risk (OAR) were digitized. Dwell positions were identified and registered in both the uterine tandem for each patient. For those receiving HDRB alone, the prescribed dose was 7 Gy x 5 fractions. Patients who were treated following external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) received 4Gy x 5 fractions. The interfraction interval was 6–8 hours. The DVHs were computed for the CTV, bladder, rectum, and sigmoid colon. To compare doses of OARs, 1.0 cc, 2.0 cc, and 5.0 cc volumes receiving the highest dose were calculated from DVHs. 3D optimization was done to improve target coverage and decrease dose to critical organs and compared with the 2D orthogonal radiograph-based plan. The mean of percentage of prescribed dose ± S.D to 1 cc, 2 cc, and 5 cc of the OARs of interest were as follows: Rectum 44 ± 21%, 39 ± 18%, and 33 ± 15%; bladder 104 ± 36%, 91 ± 31%, and 73.9 ± 24%; and sigmoid 124 ± 35%, 109 ± 30%, and 89 ± 25%, respectively. The corresponding dose to ICRU 38 bladder and rectal points were 98 ± 55% and 50.5 ± 32%, respectively. The mean dose to uterine point and point A were 99 ± 1.7% and 98 ± 3%, respectively. The mean CTV volume was 160 ± 89 cc with the percentage of volume getting 100% and 90% of the dose being 62 ± 12% and 68 ± 12% with 2D plan versus 57 ± 8% and 67 ± 8.9% with 3D plan. The dose to critical organs were reduced with 3D optimization for rectum, bladder, and sigmoid by 5.6% (p = 0.04), 20.6% (p = 0.02), and 26.8% (p = 0.005), respectively. Compared to the 3-D volume dose, the prescription points overestimated the dose to the target volume. The under-dosing was because of inability of two channel applicator to cover volumes in the region of the cervix and vagina. The dose to sigmoid colon was high and attention should be given to the sigmoid dose at the time of treatment planning. 3D planning helped in reducing the dose to the critical organs without compromising target coverage. Correlations with outcome are needed to better define the role of 3D dosimetry in treatment planning.

Image-guided high-dose-rate brachytherapy in inoperable endometrial cancer

Inoperable endometrial cancer may be treated with curative aim using radical radiotherapy alone. The radiation techniques are external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) alone, EBRT plus brachytherapy and brachytherapy alone. Recently, high-dose-rate brachytherapy has been used instead of low-dose-rate brachytherapy. Image-guided brachytherapy enables sufficient coverage of tumour and reduction of dose to the organs at risk, thus increasing the therapeutic ratio of treatment. Local control rates with three-dimensional brachytherapy appear better than with conventional techniques (about 90-100% and 70-90%, respectively).

Primary brachytherapy as a radical treatment for endometrial carcinoma

Surgery is the primary treatment for endometrial cancer, with radiation therapy having an established place in the adjuvant treatment setting. However, there is a population of patients with endometrial cancer who may not be suitable for surgery and primary radiation therapy as a treatment option. This article describes the place of radiotherapy in the management of endometrial cancer and describes the author's own experiences with primary brachytherapy in those patients who are unsuitable for surgery.

Long-term results of high-dose-rate brachytherapy and external-beam radiotherapy in the primary treatment of endometrial cancer

In this report we update our long-term follow-up results of the prospective study whose aim was to evaluate the efficacy of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in combination with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in the treatment of medically inoperable endometrial cancer. Between 1995 and 1998, 29 patients with stages I-III medically inoperable carcinoma of endometrium were treated with definitive irradiation. All patients underwent combined intracavitary HDR brachytherapy and EBRT. The EBRT dose was 50 Gy with midline shield from 16 Gy. The HDR brachytherapy dose was 50 Gy, delivered in 5 fractions in a weekly schedule. Overall survival (OS) at 5 and 10 years was 48.3% and 20.7%, respectively. Disease-specific survival (DSS) at 5 and 10 years was 73.5% and 67.9%, respectively. The 10-year DSS rate was 73.5% for all stages, 85.7% for Stage I disease, 71.4% for Stage II, and 16.7% for stage III disease. Late Grade 1-2 radiation complications were observed in 4 patients (13.8%). Our long-term follow-up confirms that HDR brachytherapy with EBRT appears to be an effective and safe treatment for stage I and II medically inoperable endometrial cancer.

Definitive radiotherapy for medically inoperable early-stage serous and clear cell uterine carcinoma

High-risk, early-stage endometrial cancer is optimally treated by hysterectomy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. In 1%-9% of cases, the patient is medically unfit or personally unwilling to undergo primary surgery, and definitive radiotherapy may be offered as an alternative definitive therapy. Although several series have reported excellent intrauterine control and disease-specific survival for endometrioid histology, few outcome data are available for patients with serous or clear cell histology treated with radiotherapy alone. We herein describe one case each of early-stage, medically inoperable serous/clear cell histology endometrial cancer treated with definitive radiotherapy. Treatment was well tolerated by both patients, and neither patient required a treatment break. Acute toxicity consisted of self-limited cystitis in one patient. One patient was without evidence of disease progression at 54 months after radiotherapy.

Endometrial cancer—Revisiting the importance of pelvic and para aortic lymph nodes

In 1998, FIGO (International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians) required a change from clinical to surgical staging in early endometrial cancer. This staging requirement raised numerous controversies around the importance of determining nodal status and its impact on outcomes. A diversity of opinions exists as to the actual benefits and toxicities associated with surgical staging which includes lymph node sampling, ranging from those whose opinion is that staging is required for all patients even when the a priori risk of nodal involvement is extremely low through to those who consider that staging is unnecessary in any patient. While knowledge of the presence or absence of extra uterine sites of disease may change treatment approaches and direct different treatment interventions in some patients, the impact of those changes on survival is much less clear. This paper examines recommendations for surgical staging in various subgroups of patients with clinically early endometrial cancer and the impact on survival and toxicity of the various approaches and the subsequent use of adjuvant irradiation and/or chemotherapy.

Pilot study in the treatment of endometrial carcinoma with 3D image–based high-dose-rate brachytherapy using modified Heyman packing: Clinical experience and dose–volume histogram analysis

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate dose distribution within uterus (clinical target volume [CTV]) and tumor (gross tumor volume [GTV]) and the resulting clinical outcome based on systematic three-dimensional treatment planning with dose-volume adaptation. Dose-volume assessment and adaptation in organs at risk and its impact on side effects were investigated in parallel.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Sixteen patients with either locally confined endometrial carcinoma (n = 15) or adenocarcinoma of uterus and ovaries after bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (n = 1) were included. Heyman packing was performed with mean 11 Norman-Simon applicators (3-18). Three-dimensional treatment planning based on computed tomography (n = 29) or magnetic resonance imaging (n = 18) was done in all patients with contouring of CTV, GTV, and organs at risk. Dose-volume adaptation was achieved by dwell location and time variation (intensity modulation). Twelve patients treated with curative intent received five to seven fractions of high-dose-rate brachytherapy (7 Gy per fraction) corresponding to a total dose of 60 Gy (2 Gy per fraction and alpha/beta of 10 Gy) to the CTV. Four patients had additional external beam radiotherapy (range, 10-40 Gy). One patient had salvage brachytherapy and 3 patients were treated with palliative intent. A dose-volume histogram analysis was performed in all patients. On average, 68% of the CTV and 92% of the GTV were encompassed by the 60 Gy reference volume. Median minimum dose to 90% of CTV and GTV (D90) was 35.3 Gy and 74 Gy, respectively.

RESULTS

All patients treated with curative intent had complete remission (12/12). After a median follow-up of 47 months, 5 patients are alive without tumor. Seven patients died without tumor from intercurrent disease after median 22 months. The patient with salvage treatment had a second local recurrence after 27 months and died of endometrial carcinoma after 57 months. In patients treated with palliative intent, symptom relief was achieved. No severe acute and late side effects (Grade 3/4) were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Sectional image-based three-dimensional treatment planning on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging is feasible in definitive brachytherapy of endometrial carcinoma and enables by the use of dwell time and location adaptation a sufficient coverage of GTV and major parts of CTV. Local control in this limited number of patients is excellent and rate of side effects minimal.

Image-based intracavitary brachytherapy in the treatment of inoperable uterine cancer: Individual dose specification at specific anatomical sites

PURPOSE

With advances in imaging studies, dose specification for uterine cancer can be defined at specific anatomical sites such as the myometrium or the serosal surface rather than at arbitrary points or milligram-hours. This report presents our experience with image-based brachytherapy for inoperable uterine cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Eight patients with organ-confined uterine cancer (2 Stage I GI, 3 Stage I G2, 3 Stage I G3) underwent definitive radiation therapy because of poor medical condition. All the patients underwent a CT or MRI scan of the pelvis before intracavitary application. Based on the size of the uterine cavity, a single-channel intrauterine applicator was selected for a small uterus, and a multiple-channel intrauterine applicator was used for a large uterus. A CT (n=5) or MRI (n=3) scan of the pelvis was performed with the applicator in place in addition to orthogonal pelvic films. Individualized dose specification was 75Gy to the midmyometrium and limited to 50Gy to the serosal surface of the uterus based on imaging information.

RESULTS

Four patients with Stage I G1-2 disease had intracavitary brachytherapy alone. Four patients with Stage I G2-3 disease were treated with a combination of external pelvic radiation and intracavitary brachytherapy. Six patients had low-dose-rate brachytherapy, and 2 patients had high-dose-rate brachytherapy. Five patients had single-channel intrauterine brachytherapy, and 3 patients had multiple-channel brachytherapy. Based on the measurements of the uterine wall thickness by the imaging studies, the dose specification was prescribed to 1.5 cm lateral to the central axis of the uterus in 4 patients, 2.0 cm in 3 patients, and 2.5 cm in 1 patient. The medium followup time after radiation treatment was 38 months. Six patients are alive without evidence of disease, and 2 patients died of other causes. All patients had local control without major side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Image-based brachytherapy based on individualized dose specification at specific anatomical sites can be done easily and provides excellent local control for inoperable uterine cancer.

[Brachytherapy of endometrial cancers]

Endometrial adenocarcinomas rank third as tumoral sites en France. The tumors are confined to the uterus in 80% of the cases. Brachytherapy has a large place in the therapeutic strategy. The gold standard treatment remains extrafascial hysterectomy with bilateral annexiectomy and bilateral internal iliac lymph node dissection. However, after surgery alone, the rate of locoregional relapses reaches 4-20%, which is reduced to 0-5% after postoperative brachytherapy of the vaginal cuff. This postoperative brachytherapy is delivered as outpatients treatment, by 3 or 4 fractions, at high dose rate. The uterovaginal preoperative brachytherapy remains well adapted to the tumors which involve the uterine cervix. Patients presenting a localized tumor but not operable for general reasons (< 10%) can be treated with success by exclusive irradiation, which associates a pelvic irradiation followed by an uterovaginal brachytherapy. A high local control of about 80-90% is obtained, a little lower than surgery, with a higher risk of late complications. Last but not least, local relapses in the vaginal cuff, or in the perimeatic area, can be treated by interstitial salvage brachytherapy, associated if possible with external beam irradiation. The local control is reached in half of the patients, but metastatic dissemination is frequent. We conclude that brachytherapy has a major role in the treatment of endometrial adenocarcinomas, in combination with surgery, or with external beam irradiation for not operable patients or in case of local relapses. It should use new technologies now available including computerized afterloaders and 3D dose calculation.

Carcinoma of the endometrium

The incidence of endometrial cancer is highest among relatively affluent Caucasians. Although it has a comparatively low mortality rate compared with other gynaecological cancers, it is capable of aggressive behaviour. Endometrial cancer is uncommon in premenopausal women. The incidence rises with age and is significantly increased when there is exposure to unopposed estrogen, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Even when HRT is given in the form of estrogen and cyclical progesterone there is probably some increased risk. The long term use of tamoxifen for breast cancer is also associated with an increased incidence of endometrial cancer. Transvaginal ultrasound and pipelle or hysteroscopy endometrial biopsies are tending to replace the traditional dilation and curettage in establishing a diagnosis. 90% of endometrial tumours are surgically resectable on presentation. This remains the first line management--minimally, a total abdominal hysterectomy and bi-lateral salpingo oophorectomy. Prognostic factors include the histological grade, the depth of invasion of the myometrium, the presence or absence of lymph-vascular space invasion and involved regional nodes, tumour volume, and the presence or absence of involvement of the cervix. The pelvis is a major anatomical site at risk of recurrence, and since cytotoxic chemotherapy and hormone therapies have limited effectiveness, radiotherapy is the adjuvant therapy of choice where adverse prognostic factors are present. A move towards more radical surgery--the addition of lymphadenectomy with a total abdominal hysterectomy and bi-lateral salpingo oophorectomy, may modify the value of adjuvant therapy and has highlighted the need to demonstrate the exact place of post operative radiotherapy in the management of endometrial cancer. The ASTEC trial in the UK, run by the Medical Research Council, has the dual aims of determining the benefit of lymphadenectomy and of post operative adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with endometrial cancer confined to the corpus. Patients who are not medically fit for surgery or who have inoperable disease are managed with radical radiotherapy but the results in both these groups are inferior to those obtained with radical surgery. Spread outside the pelvis to para-aortic nodes may still be salvaged with local irradiation, but systemic disease is incurable and treatment is largely palliative including consideration of local irradiation, hormone therapy or chemotherapy for symptomatic relief. As reliable techniques for diagnosis are refined an even larger proportion of patients will be diagnosed with early disease. This, together with the development of new cytotoxic agents and sophisticated radiotherapy techniques to reduce normal tissue morbidity, will require the establishment of further clinical trials to refine optimal management.

Radiation therapy in endometrial cancer

The role of radiation in endometrial cancer, especially in the adjuvant setting, is controversial. Factors that influence radiotherapy recommendations include surgical considerations, pathological findings, potential sites of disease recurrence and the practice philosophies of the individual physician. It has been demonstrated that adjuvant radiotherapy following primary surgery significantly improves pelvic tumour control, but has no measurable impact on overall survival in an unselected patient population. Studies to date have been hampered by the inclusion of patients with a wide spectrum of prognostic features; this may decrease the likelihood of observing greater benefit in discriminate subsets at higher risk of relapse. Further trials are required to define clinical prognosis more precisely and to investigate the role of radiation in higher-risk patients. In the meantime, we propose guidelines for radiotherapy in endometrial cancer which serve as bases for discussion and collaboration among physicians and as platforms for future study and progress.

Primary radiotherapy for carcinoma of the endometrium using external beam radiotherapy and single line source brachytherapy

A small proportion of patients with adenocarcinoma of the endometrium are inoperable by virtue of severe concurrent medical conditions, gross obesity or advanced stage disease. They can be treated with primary radiotherapy with either curative or palliative intent. We report 37 such patients treated mainly with a combination of external beam radiotherapy and intracavitary brachytherapy using a single line source technique. The 5-year disease-specific survival for nonsurgically staged patients was 68.4% for FIGO Stages I and II and 33.3% for Stages III and IV. The incidence of late morbidity was acceptably low. Using the Franco-Italian Glossary, there was 27.0% grade 1 but no grade 2-4 bladder toxicity. For the rectum the rates were 18.9% grade 1, 5.4% grade 2, 2.7% grade 3, and no grade 4 toxicity. Methods of optimizing the dose distribution of the brachytherapy by means of variation of treatment length, radioactive source positions, and prescription point according to tumour bulk and individual anatomy are discussed. The biologically equivalent doses (BED) for combined external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy were calculated to be in the range of 78-107 Gy(3) or 57-75 Gy(10) at point 'A' and appear adequate for the control of Stage I cancers.

Perioperative and postoperative complications of intracavitary radiation for FIGO stage I-III carcinoma of the cervix

PURPOSE

To evaluate perioperative and postoperative complications of low-dose-rate (LDR) intracavitary radiation therapy in patients with FIGO Stage I-III carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical and radiotherapy records of all patients treated with radiation between 1960 and 1992 at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for FIGO I-III carcinomas of the cervix. Patients who had had initial hysterectomy or whose treatment did not include intracavitary irradiation were excluded. The final study included 4043 patients who had undergone 7662 intracavitary procedures.

RESULTS

Eleven (0. 3%) patients had documented or suspected cases of thromboembolism resulting in 4 deaths. Of these 11 patients, 8 had clinical or radiographic evidence of tumor involving pelvic nodes or fixed pelvic wall. The risk of postoperative thromboembolism did not decrease significantly with the routine use of mini-dose heparin prophylaxis (p = 0.3). Other life-threatening perioperative complications included myocardial infarction (1 death in 5 patients), cerebrovascular accident (2 patients), congestive heart failure or atrial fibrillation (3 patients), and halothane liver toxicity (2 deaths in 2 patients). Intraoperative complications included uterine perforation (2.8%) and vaginal laceration (0.3%), which occurred more frequently in patients >/= 60 years old (p < 0.01). Fourteen percent of patients had a temperature >/= 101 degrees F during at least one hospital stay. The only correlation between minor intraoperative complications and disease-specific survival was found in patients who had Stage III disease and uterine perforation; survival was significantly (p = 0.01) decreased in these patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatal or life-threatening complications of intracavitary treatment were very rare. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) did not occur in otherwise healthy patients with early disease and were rare even when disease was more advanced. Minor perioperative complications were not correlated with serious late complications or with death from disease.

Hysteroscopic endometrial resection and high-dose-rate brachytherapy: treatment of endometrial cancer in a medically compromised patient

OBJECTIVE

The use of a combined treatment option for endometrial cancer in a medically compromised patient is outlined.

METHODS/RESULTS

A case of a 49-year-old severely medically compromised patient with endometrial cancer is described. A complete hysteroscopic endometrial resection with insertion and suturing in place of an endocervical cannula allowed weekly outpatient delivery of high-dose-rate intracavitary radiation without anesthetic or repeat dilatation of the endocervical canal.

CONCLUSION

The use of hysteroscopic endometrial resection with adjuvant high-dose-rate radiation therapy is a feasible treatment option for patients with endometrial cancer in whom surgery is contraindicated.

Perioperative morbidity and mortality of high-dose-rate gynecologic brachytherapy

PURPOSE

To determine the 30-day morbidity and mortality rates for patients with an intact uterus undergoing high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, and to assess risk factors which may predict for these potentially life-threatening complications.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

From August 1989 to December 1994, 128 cervical and 41 medically inoperable endometrial cancer patients were treated with 5 outpatient weekly HDR brachytherapy insertions. Patients with cervical cancer also were treated with external beam radiotherapy. Acute events that resulted in either hospitalization (morbidity) or death (mortality) within 30 days of the implant were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors.

RESULTS

Overall there were 16 acute events in 169 patients (9.5%). The overall morbidity and mortality rates for the cervical and endometrial patients were 5.5%, 1.6%, 7.3%, and 9.8%, respectively. The following factors were significant by univariate analysis: age per decade, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), significant medical history, diagnosis of cervical vs. endometrial cancer, and mean time exceeding 160 minutes for the procedure. Since age was the most significant predictive factor (p = 0.0003), bivariate analyses were performed by adjusting for age. In these analyses only ASA and KPS maintained significance, while a positive medical history was of borderline significance (p = 0.07).

CONCLUSION

The morbidity and mortality rates observed in gynecologic patients selected for HDR brachytherapy were similar to low-dose-rate, but higher than other HDR reports. Reasons for this include a higher risk population, especially those with medically inoperable endometrial cancer. In the cervical cancer patients, some of the complications may have also been a result of the external beam portion of the radiation. In order to minimize the acute complications observed in the present HDR brachytherapy system, the following changes have been implemented: appropriate patient selection, anesthesiology involvement to monitor conscious sedation for high-risk patients, external beam radiotherapy alone in patients at extremely high risk, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis, use of intraoperative ultrasound, shorter duration in the brachytherapy suite, and preradiation treatment plans (plans executed prior to the insertion) if applicable. Finally, this analysis suggests that these procedures should be performed in a hospital-based setting where appropriate support is available.

High-dose-rate brachytherapy for medically inoperable stage I endometrial cancer

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in 36 medically inoperable patients with stage I endometrial cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

From October 1989 to August 1997, 36 patients presented with clinical stage I inoperable endometrial cancer. Surgery was precluded because of obesity and/or poor cardio-pulmonary reserve. Obesity was assessed using the body mass index (BMI) scale (kg/m2). Patients received 5 weekly HDR outpatient brachytherapy applications while under intravenous conscious sedation. Three-year clinical endpoints were calculated using the Kaplan and Meier method. Grade 3 and above complications were scored using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group system.

RESULTS

The median age, Karnofsky performance status, BMI, and weight were 65 years old, 80%, 47 kg/m2, and 268 lbs, respectively. Nineteen patients were inoperable due to morbid obesity (median weight and BMI: 316 lbs and 56 kg/m2) while the remaining patients had other significant medical problems. Two patients died from acute cardiovascular events within 30 days of the last insertion. With a median follow-up of 32 months the 3-year uterine control, disease-free survival, survival, and complications were 88, 85, 65, and 21%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Excellent uterine control rates (88%) were achieved using HDR brachytherapy for patients with medically inoperable endometrial cancer, but with significant acute and late morbidities. These toxicities were observed in a previous interim analysis that resulted in major modifications of the HDR program. No severe complications have developed since these changes were implemented. The current approach used for these challenging inoperable patients is a viable alternative to observation or hormonal therapy.

Intracavitary brachytherapy in the treatment of gynecologic neoplasms

Modern intracavitary brachytherapy carefully combined with megavoltage external beam radiotherapy is responsible for the high cure rates achieved with radiation treatment of invasive cervical cancers. Pelvic disease recurrence is rare after treatment of patients with tumors < 5 cm in diameter, and even patients with massive tumors 8-10 cm in diameter are cured in 30-50% of cases. Inoperable adenocarcinomas of the endometrium and superficial cancers of the vagina are also effectively treated with intracavitary irradiation. The relative radioresistance of the uterus and vagina, physical advantages resulting from exploitation of the inverse square law, and the radiobiological advantages of low dose rate radiation have combined to make intracavitary irradiation a critical tool in the management of many gynecologic neoplasms.

Stage I corpus cancer: is teletherapy necessary?

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to evaluate the perioperative morbidity after hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy as primary treatment of endometrial cancer and to analyze the recurrence and survival of patients classified as having surgical stage I disease who did not receive adjunctive teletherapy.

STUDY DESIGN

Over a 10-year interval 444 patients underwent extensive surgical staging for corpus cancer. Perioperative events were recorded prospectively. Outcome events were updated after the last year of study.

RESULTS

After patients with high-risk histologic types of cancer were excluded, 396 patients were evaluable. The risk of extrauterine disease, detected in 21.8% of patients, increased with increasing lack of tumor differentiation. The associated surgical morbidity, including blood loss (mean 336 ml), surgical site infection (3.5%), thromboembolic events (1.5%), and urinary injury (0.6%), and deaths (0.6%) did not differ from those in reports of women undergoing lesser operative procedures. Late complications, including lymphocyst (1.2%), leg edema (1.8%), and hernia (2.9%), were infrequent. Recurrence and survival analysis indicated a calculated 5-year survival of 97% of all patients with surgical stage I disease. There was a significant survival difference related to grade and stage for women in whom disease was confined to the uterus. Overall survival in patients with stage IA (100%) was significantly different (p < 0.0001) from that of patients with stage IB (97%) and stage IC (93%). All recurrences included a distal component.

CONCLUSION

Extensive surgical staging including lymphadenectomy can be performed safely. Our results suggest that the risk of pelvic recurrence is not increased and the risk of survival is not compromised in those women not receiving adjunctive teletherapy.

Endometrial cancer

Carcinoma of the uterine corpus (endometrial cancer) remains the gynecologic malignant disease with the highest annual prevalence in the United States. The most common histologic type is adenocarcinoma, although more aggressive variants (e.g., papillary serous carcinoma and clear cell carcinoma) have been identified. Risk factors that are strongly associated with the development of endometrial cancer include tamoxifen therapy, obesity, and stimulation from unopposed estrogen (from exogenous sources or endogenously secreting ovarian tumors). The current staging system of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics is based on surgical-pathologic findings. Survival has been directly correlated with tumor stage in this staging system. The cornerstone of therapy is total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy may provide additional prognostic information but probably does not confer a therapeutic advantage. Moreover, such nodal dissections predispose to the development of complications, especially in women who subsequently receive pelvic irradiation. Other than surgical treatment, irradiation is the single most active therapy for endometrial carcinoma. In fact, some women who are not candidates for hysterectomy because of medical contra-indications can be cured with radiation alone. Adjuvant therapy following hysterectomy is based on patient- and tumor-related features that provided prognostic information for incidence and pattern of recurrence. Adjuvant treatment usually includes pelvic irradiation for selected patients. Current investigational strategies are directed at the role of whole-abdomen irradiation, extended-field irradiation, and systemic chemotherapy. The most active systemic agents include cisplatin, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and progestins.

Primary treatment of endometrial carcinoma with high-dose-rate brachytherapy: results of 12 years of experience with 280 patients

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDRB) in the primary treatment of endometrial carcinoma. The results of 12 years of experience (1981-1992) covering 280 patients (mean age 72 years) and their follow-up over 10 years (mean 55 months) are reported.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Staging was based on clinical examination and fractionated curettage. There were 116 patients in clinical Stage Ia, 119 in Stage Ib, 37 in Stage II, and 8 in Stage III. HDRB was performed four to five times (8.5 Gy) with a one-channel intracavitary applicator and one to two times (7 Gy) with an intravaginal cylinder applicator. Overall and disease-specific survival, local control according to stage and histology, and late side effects were analyzed retrospectively (actuarial method).

RESULTS

At 5 years, overall survival, disease-specific survival, and local control were 52.7%, 76.6%, and 75.4% (Stage Ia: 63.9%, 84.9%, and 86.0%; Stage Ib: 47.3%, 73.3%, and 68.8%; and Stage II: 40.2%, 68.6%, and 60.5%) according to histopathologic Grade 1: 65.1%, 83.5%, and 77.7%; for Grade 2: 44.7 %, 75.4%, and 75.8%; and for Grade 3: 37.7%, 63.9%, and 74.1%. Eight patients showed progressive disease, 64 developed recurrence after a median of 13 months (45 of whom had a local recurrence only, and 6 of whom had a local recurrence with distant metastases), 6 developed a lymph node recurrence only, and 7 developed distant metastases only. The calculated probability for developing a Grade III late side effect was 5.2% at 5 years.

CONCLUSION

At Stages Ia, Ib, and II in endometrial carcinoma, HDRB is a very effective treatment modality with acceptable local control rates and disease-specific survival for patients who are not fit for surgery. During the time frame of 12 years and in 280 patients the method has proven to have a low risk of acute complications and an acceptable risk of long-term side effects.

Uterine cancer (corpus uteri)

This synthesis of the literature on radiotherapy for cancer originating in the endometrium of the uterus (corpus uteri) is based on 55 scientific articles, including 2 randomized studies, 1 prospective study, and 48 retrospective studies. These studies involve 13597 patients. Endometrial cancer is a radiosensitive cancer. Research findings compiled for the period 1948 to 1954 showed that 69% of the patients could be cured by radiotherapy alone. During the 1970s it was shown that combined radiotherapy and surgery yielded better results. There is agreement that patients at stage I should receive primary surgery. According to the literature, there is controversy about whether patients with poorly differentiated tumors should be given preoperative radiotherapy. Radiotherapy alone can be used successfully in patients who are inoperable because of age, general condition, or advanced spread of cancer. Vaginal postoperative radiotherapy is used in most patients and reduces the percentage of patients who develop vaginal metastases from 7%-20% to less than 1%. Patients with good prognostic factors have such a low risk for metastasis that withholding radiotherapy may be considered in this group. Postoperative external radiotherapy improves survival in patients with unfavorable prognostic factors, such as deep myometrium invasion or signs of node metastasis. Radiotherapy is delivered, in principle, to all patients with poorly differentiated disease. It can be expected that most cases of endometrial cancer will continue to be referred for some form of radiotherapy.

Brachytherapy-related complications for medically inoperable stage I endometrial carcinoma

PURPOSE

The current study was conducted to investigate the incidence and risk factors for medical complications associated with low dose rate brachytherapy in patients with medically inoperable Stage I endometrial cancer treated with irradiation alone.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

From 1965 through 1991 at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, 150 implants were performed on 96 patients who were deemed medically unfit for hysterectomy because of advanced age, obesity, and various medical problems. The records of these patients were examined retrospectively to determine the incidence of medical complications that occurred in the first 30 days following the initiation of brachytherapy. The association of risk factors that precluded major surgery and the occurrence of brachytherapy-related complications was examined by logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of these 96 patients, 40 patients were older than 75 years, and 31 patients were deemed morbidly obese. Medical problems included hypertension in 45 patients, and diabetes in 37; there was a history of congestive heart failure in 23, stroke in 11, myocardial infarction in 10, and thromboembolism in 8. There were concurrent malignancies in five patients. Implants were performed using intrauterine Simon-Heyman capsules, tandems, and vaginal ovoids in all patients. General anesthesia was used for 98 implants, spinal anesthesia for 26, local anesthesia for 25, and epidural anesthesia for 1. The duration of anesthesia ranged from 30 to 120 min (median, 60 min). The duration of radioisotope application ranged from 11 to 96 h (median, 46 h). Preventive measures included low dose subcutaneous heparin in 55 patients (since 1978), and intermittent pneumatic compression boots in 29 (since 1985). Four patients developed life-threatening complications including myocardial infarction (two patients), congestive heart failure (one patient), and pulmonary embolism (one patient). Two of these four patients died; one with a myocardial infarction and the other with pulmonary embolism. The morbidity rate was thus 4.2% (4 out of 96), and the mortality was 2.1% (2 out of 96). Although the four serious complications occurred within 30 days of the procedure, only one complication and one death occurred during treatment. There was no correlation between occurrence of complications and medical risk factors, type and duration of anesthesia, or type and duration of implant.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a low incidence of complications associated with conventional low dose rate brachytherapy. The procedure is well tolerated in patients with medically inoperable Stage I endometrial cancer. In comparison to the predicted serious complication rate of surgery in these patients, the number of life-threatening complications from brachytherapy appears to be quite acceptable.