Preoperative concomitant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer: safety, outcome, and prognostic measures

Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy in patients with high-risk locally advanced cervical cancer-results of a clinical series

PURPOSE

Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (NARCT) is an established standard of care in various tumor entities, promoting high response rates at commonly lower toxicities as compared to adjuvant approaches. This retrospective analysis was designed to investigate NARCT in early-stage high-risk cervical cancer.

METHODS

Forty patients with early-stage high-risk cervical cancer (i.e., L1, V1, G3, N+, > 2/3 stromal invasion, > 4 cm tumor size, borderline resectability) were treated with NARCT prior to surgical resection. Downstagings based on clinical, imaging, and pathological responses were recorded. Survival rates were calculated according to Kaplan-Meier, and prognostic factors were analyzed with uni- and multivariable Cox regression analyses using SPSS software (v. 26; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

RESULTS

Both NARCT and subsequent tumor resection were feasible and conducted in 39 of 40 patients (95%). Early toxicity was moderate, with no grade 3 or higher toxicities following NARCT and surgery. NARCT yielded significant downstaging in all patients, and pathological complete remission (pCR) was achieved in 14 patients (36%). After 5 years, overall survival (OS), freedom from local progression (FFLP), and freedom from distant progression (FFDP) rates were 84.2%, 75.9%, and 73.1%, respectively. Late proctitis (grade 1 in 8%) and urinary cystitis (grade 1-3 in 35%) occurred at acceptable rates.

CONCLUSION

In resectable early-stage high-risk cervical cancer, NARCT is feasible and safe. Clinical, imaging, and pathological response rates are high. Impressive long-term survival and tumor control rates at modest toxicities encourage the initiation of a prospective and randomized trial.

Should all cervical cancer patients with positive lymph node receive definitive radiotherapy: a population-based comparative study

OBJECTIVE

The optimal initial management strategy for cervical cancer with lymph node metastases (LNM) remains a topic of ongoing debate. This study aimed to explore the correlation between surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and definitive radiotherapy (RT), as well as their impact on the prognosis of patients with LNM.

METHODS

Patients with positive lymph nodes (PLNs) in 2009 FIGO stage I-III cervical cancer were selected from SEER database. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analysis were utilized to assess survival outcomes. Cox and Interaction analyses were employed to compare the survival benefits.

RESULTS

2936 patients were included in this study. Multivariate analysis revealed the choice of primary treatment significantly impacted both cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS), serving as an independent prognostic factor for patients with LNM. After adjusting for imbalanced variables, surgery plus PORT exhibited significant improvements in CSS and OS in the stage I-II and PLNs ≤ 5 subgroups. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two treatment modalities in stage III and PLNs > 5 subgroups. Through interaction analysis, it was observed that stage I-II and PLNs ≤ 5 subgroups exhibited a significant survival benefit from surgery plus PORT.

CONCLUSION

Surgery plus PORT could lead to improved outcomes for cervical cancer in patients with stage I-II or PLNs ≤ 5. However, this approach did not apply to patients with stage III or PLNs > 5. Therefore, a comprehensive assessment of LNM and local tumor spread should guide rationalized treatment modalities when managing patients presenting LNM.

Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: Neoadjuvant Treatment versus Standard Radio-Chemotherapy-An Updated Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The treatment of choice for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) is definitive concurrent radio chemotherapy which consists of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy (CCRT), with the possible addition of brachytherapy (BT). However, the benefits of adjuvant surgery after neoadjuvant treatments remain a debated issue and a still open question in the literature. This meta-analysis aims to provide an updated view on the controversial topic, focusing on comparing surgery after any adjuvant treatment and standard treatment.

METHODS

Following the recommendations in the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement, the PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched in April 2023 for early publications. No limitations on the country were applied. Only English articles were considered. The comparative studies containing data about disease-free survival (DFS) and/or overall survival (OS) were included in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The CCRT + surgery group showed a significantly better DFS than CCRT (RR 0.69 [95% CI 0.58-0.81] p < 0.01) and a better OS (RR 0.70 [95% CI 0.55-0.89] p < 0.01). Nine studies comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) plus surgery and CCRT were also enrolled. The NACT + surgery group showed a significantly better DFS than CCRT (RR 0.66 [95% CI 0.45-0.97] p < 0.01) and a better OS (RR 0.56 [95% CI 0.38-0.83] p < 0.01). In the sub-analysis of three randomized control trials, the surgery group documented a non-significantly better DFS and OS than CCRT (OR 1.10 [95% CI 0.67-1.80] p = 0.72; I2 = 69% p = 0.72; OR 1.09 [95% CI 0.63-1.91] p = 0.75; I2 = 13% p = 0.32).

CONCLUSION

The results provide updated findings about the efficacy of neoadjuvant treatments, indicating significantly improved DFS and OS in patients undergoing hysterectomy after CCRT or NACT compared with patients undergoing standard treatments.

Is PET Radiomics Useful to Predict Pathologic Tumor Response and Prognosis in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer?

This study investigated whether radiomic features extracted from pretreatment [18F]FDG PET could improve the prediction of both histopathologic tumor response and survival in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery compared with conventional PET parameters and histopathologic features. Methods: The medical records of all consecutive patients with LACC referred between July 2010 and July 2016 were reviewed. [18F]FDG PET/CT was performed before neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Radiomic features were extracted from the primary tumor volumes delineated semiautomatically on the PET images and reduced by factor analysis. A receiver-operating-characteristic analysis was performed, and conventional and radiomic features were dichotomized with Liu's method according to pathologic response (pR) and cancer-specific death. According to the study protocol, only areas under the curve of more than 0.70 were selected for further analysis, including logistic regression analysis for response prediction and Cox regression analysis for survival prediction. Results: A total of 195 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. At pathologic evaluation after surgery, 131 patients (67.2%) had no or microscopic (≤3 mm) residual tumor (pR0 or pR1, respectively); 64 patients (32.8%) had macroscopic residual tumor (>3 mm, pR2). With a median follow-up of 76.0 mo (95% CI, 70.7-78.7 mo), 31.3% of patients had recurrence or progression and 20.0% died of the disease. Among conventional PET parameters, SUVmean significantly differed between pathologic responders and nonresponders. Among radiomic features, 1 shape and 3 textural features significantly differed between pathologic responders and nonresponders. Three radiomic features significantly differed between presence and absence of recurrence or progression and between presence and absence of cancer-specific death. Areas under the curve were less than 0.70 for all parameters; thus, univariate and multivariate regression analyses were not performed. Conclusion: In a large series of patients with LACC treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery, PET radiomic features could not predict histopathologic tumor response and survival. It is crucial to further explore the biologic mechanism underlying imaging-derived parameters and plan a large, prospective, multicenter study with standardized protocols for all phases of the process of radiomic analysis to validate radiomics before its use in clinical routine.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Pre-Operative Staging of Cervical Cancer Patients Who Underwent Neoadjuvant Treatment: A Clinical–Surgical–Pathologic Comparison

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proven to ensure high diagnostic accuracy in the identification of vaginal, parametrial, and lymph node involvement in patients affected by cervical cancer (CC), thus playing a crucial role in the preoperative staging of the disease. This study aims to compare the accuracy of MRI for the preoperative staging of patients with CC who underwent neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) or direct surgery. Retrospective data analysis of 126 patients with primary CC International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB3-IIB who underwent NAT before radical surgery (NAT group = 94) or received surgical treatment alone (control arm = 32) was prospectively performed. All enrolled patients were clinically assessed with both a pelvic examination and MRI before surgical treatment. Data from the clinical examination were compared with the histopathological findings to assess the accuracy of MRI for staging purposes after NAT or before direct surgery. MRI showed an overall accuracy of 46.1%, proving it to be not superior to pelvic and physical examination. The overall MRI accuracy for the evaluation of parametrial, vaginal, and lymph node status was 65.8%, 79.4%, and 79.4%, respectively. In the NAT group, the accuracy for the detection of parametrial, lymph node, and vaginal involvement was lower than the control group; however, the difference was not significant (p ≥ 0.05). The overall accuracy of MRI for the preoperative staging of CC after NAT is shown to be not unsatisfactory. The limits of MRI staging are especially evident when dealing with pre-treated patients.

Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy With Simultaneous Integrated Boost in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: Long Term Results of a Single-Center Experience

Aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy and tolerability of simultaneous integrated boost volumetric modulated arc therapy (SIB-VMAT) associated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy in preoperative setting of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). From June 2013 to September 2019, we analyzed patients with LACC who had undergone neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT). A radiation dose of 39.6 Gy, 1.8 Gy/fraction was delivered to the pelvis plus a radiation dose to the primary tumor delivered with SIB-VMAT strategy for a total of 50.6Gy, 2.3Gy/fraction in 25 fractions. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy was delivered combined with radiotherapy. Radical hysterectomy plus pelvic with or without aortic lymphadenectomy was performed within 7 to 8 weeks from CRT. One hundred forty-eight patients (median age: 49.5 years; FIGO stage IB2: 7, IIA: 8, IIB: 106, IIIA: 5; IIIB: 16; IVA: 5, IVB: 1; N0: 56, N1: 92) were analyzed. The treatment was well tolerated with good compliance: no grade 3/4 gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity was reported; grade 3 neutropenia was described in five cases. Pathological complete response (pCR) was documented in 68 cases (46%) and 32 patients (21.6%) had microscopic residual disease. Pathological nodal involvement was observed in 23 patients (15.5%). At median follow-up of 59 months (range: 27-100), the 3-year local control was 78.5%, whereas the 3-year metastasis-free survival was 70.5%. The 3-year overall survival rate was 89.0%. Neoadjuvant CRT with SIB-VMAT followed by radical surgery results in a high rate of pathologically assessed complete response and a very encouraging local control rate, with acceptable toxicity.

Radiomics-based prediction of two-year clinical outcome in locally advanced cervical cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to determine if radiomics features extracted from staging magnetic resonance (MR) images could predict 2-year long-term clinical outcome in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled patients with LACC diagnosis who underwent NACRT followed by radical surgery in two different institutions. Radiomics features were extracted from pre-treatment 1.5 T T2w MR images. The predictive performance of each feature was quantified in terms of Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Among the significant features, Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) was calculated to quantify the correlation among the different predictors. A logistic regression model was calculated considering the two most significant features at the univariate analysis showing the lowest PCC value. The predictive performance of the model created was quantified out using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

RESULTS

A total of 175 patients were retrospectively enrolled (142 for the training cohort and 33 for the validation one). 1896 radiomic feature were extracted, 91 of which showed significance (p < 0.05) at the univariate analysis. The radiomic model showing the highest predictive value combined the features calculated starting from the gray level co-occurrence-based features. This model achieved an AUC of 0.73 in the training set and 0.91 in the validation set.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed radiomic model showed promising performances in predicting 2-year overall survival before NACRT. Nevertheless, the observed results should be tested in larger studies with consistent external validation cohorts, to confirm their potential clinical use.

The Overall Quality of Life and Oncological Outcomes Following Radical Hysterectomy in Cervical Cancer Survivors Results from a Large Long-Term Single-Institution Study

Simple Summary

Romania maintains its regrettably leading position in terms of mortality caused by cervical cancer in Europe, with any available studies evaluating the oncological outcomes and quality of life of these patients. Our study could provide a historical comparison for future randomized controlled trials in Eastern Europe needed to confirm these results.

Abstract

(1) Background: Cervical cancer patients have been found to have worse quality of life (QoL) scores due to cancer treatment, not only when compared to the general population, but also when compared to other gynecological cancer survivors. In Eastern European developing countries, the health care system often cannot afford the uppermost standardized treatment for these patients. In the absence of a comparable study in our country, the authors’ aim for this retrospective cross-sectional observational study was to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and the QoL o cervical cancer survivors; (2) Methods: 430 patients were analyzed. The first objective is to evaluate the OS rates of patients with cervical cancer stages IA2 to IIB undergoing radical hysterectomy (RH) +/− neoadjuvant or adjuvant radiotherapy +/− chemoradiotherapy treatment combinations. The second objective is to assess their QoL, using two standardized questionnaires issued by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), namely QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CX24. (3) Results: The mean age of the participants was 51 years (22–76) and the average follow-up time was 65 months (2–128). At the time of the analysis, 308 out of 430 patients were alive, with a mean five-year OS of 72.4%. The multivariate Cox regression analysis identified stage IIB, parametrial invasion, and the lymph node metastases as independent prognostic risk factors negatively impacting the OS. Of the 308 patients still alive at the time of the analysis, 208 (68%) answered the QoL questionnaires. The QLQ-C30 shows a good long-term Global QoL of 64.6 (median), good functioning scores, and a decent symptom scale value. However, the EORTC QLQ-CX24 showed high values of cervical cancer-specific symptoms, namely: lymphedema, peripheral neuropathy, severe menopausal symptoms, and distorted body-image perception. The results also indicate a significant decline in the quality of sexual life with a low sexual enjoyment and decreased level of sexual activities. (4) Conclusion: Despite a good OS, in this setting of patients, cervical cancer survivors have a modest QoL and sexual function. Our study may provide a comparison for future randomized, controlled trials in Eastern European countries needing to confirm these results.

Laparoscopic Debulking of Enlarged Pelvic Nodes during Surgical Para-aortic Staging in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To evaluate laparoscopic pelvic lymph node debulking during extraperitoneal aortic lymphadenectomy in diagnosis, therapeutic planning, and prognosis of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer and enlarged lymph nodes on imaging before chemoradiotherapy.

DESIGN

Retrospective, multicenter, comparative cohort study.

SETTING

The study was carried out at 11 hospitals with specialized gynecologic oncology units in Spain.

PATIENTS

Total of 381 women with locally advanced cervical cancer and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2018 stage IIIC 1r (radiologic) and higher who received primary treatment with chemoradiotherapy.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients underwent pelvic lymph node debulking and para-aortic lymphadenectomy (group 1), only para-aortic lymphadenectomy (group 2), or no lymph node surgical staging (group 3). On the basis of pelvic node histology, group 1 was subdivided as negative (group 1A) or positive (group 1B).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

False positives and negatives of imaging tests, disease-free survival, overall survival, and postoperative complications were evaluated. In group 1, pelvic lymph node involvement was 43.3% (71 of 164), and aortic involvement was 24.4% (40 of 164). In group 2, aortic nodes were positive in 29.7% (33 of 111). Disease-free survival and overall survival were similar in the 3 groups (p = .95) and in groups 1A and 1B (p = .25). No differences were found between groups 1 and 2 in intraoperative (3.7% vs 2.7%, p = .744), early postoperative (8.0% vs 6.3%, p = .776), or late postoperative complications (6.1% vs 2.7%, p = .252). Fewer early and late complications were attributed to radiotherapy in group 1A than in the others (p = .022).

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic pelvic lymph node debulking during para-aortic staging surgery in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer with suspicious nodes allows for the confirmation of metastatic lymph nodes without affecting survival or increasing surgical complications. This information improves the selection of patients requiring boost irradiation, thus avoiding overtreatment of patients with negative nodes.

Pretreatment MRI Radiomics Based Response Prediction Model in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

The aim of this study was to create a radiomics model for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer (LACC) patients to predict pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) analysing T2-weighted 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquired before treatment start. Patients with LACC and an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage from IB2 to IVA at diagnosis were retrospectively enrolled for this study. All patients underwent NACRT, followed by radical surgery; pCR―assessed on surgical specimen―was defined as absence of any residual tumour. Finally, 1889 features were extracted from MR images; features showing statistical significance in predicting pCR at the univariate analysis were selected following an iterative method, which was ad-hoc developed for this study. Based on this method, 15 different classifiers were trained considering the most significant features selected. Model selection was carried out using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) as target metrics. One hundred eighty-three patients from two institutions were analysed. The model, showing the highest performance with an AUC of 0.80, was the random forest method initialised with default parameters. Radiomics appeared to be a reliable tool in pCR prediction for LACC patients undergoing NACRT, supporting the identification of patient risk groups, which paves treatment pathways tailored according to the predicted outcome.

The value of MR-based radiomics in identifying residual disease in patients with carcinoma in situ after cervical conization

Carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the uterine cervix is a precursor to cervical carcinoma. However, hysterectomy can be avoided in patients who can be treated by cone biopsy. Previous studies have shown that imaging-based approaches allow for the noninvasive visualization of cervical cancer, and radiomics has high accuracy in classifying cancer and predicting treatment outcome for different cancer types. To develop a magnetic resonance (MR)-based radiomics model for identifying residual disease in patients with CIS after cervical conization. Patients who had CIS after conization and finally underwent hysterectomy were collected to comprise a database to establish an imaging model for predicting the residual status after conization. Then, patients who opted for uterine preservation were classified as high-risk or low-risk patients according to the model. The disease-free survival was compared between the different risk groups using the Kaplan–Meier curve. The model built with the Boruta features outperformed the random forest model. Further validation with patients with uterine preservation showed that the patients classified as high risk were more likely to have tumor recurrence/residual disease in the follow-up period. In conclusion, radiomics can be used to identify residual disease in patients with CIS after cervical conization and could have the potential to predict recurrence in patients who opt for uterine preservation.

Prognosis impact of posttreatment pelvic MRI in patients treated for stage IB2-IIB cervical cancer with chemoradiation therapy

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the performances of systematic posttreatment pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (PPMRI) in predicting prognosis of patients treated with chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Multi-institutional data from 216 patients presenting FIGO IB2-IIB cervical cancer for which PPMRI was performed following CRT were retrospectively reviewed. Incomplete response was defined as the identification of persistent lesion on PPMRI. Primary endpoints were patients' 5-year recurrence free (RFS) and overall (OS) survivals. Secondary endpoint was the identification of residual histologic disease on hysterectomy specimens when completion surgery was performed.

RESULTS

PPMRI identified an incomplete response in 102 (47.2%) cases. A 70% or more reduction in tumor size on PPMRI was identified as the best predictive cut-off for recurrence (37.7% sensitivity and 78.7% specificity) and death (50% sensitivity and 77.9% specificity) with significant impact on those risks (HRa: 0.42; 95%CI: 0.23-0.77 and HRa: 0.18; 95%CI: 0.06-0.50, respectively). Completion hysterectomy was performed in 117 (54.4%) cases, with histologic residual disease in 55 (47.4%). PPMRI demonstrated 74.5% sensitivity and 50.8% specificity in predicting residual disease. Although survival of patients with complete response at PPMRI was not impacted by completion hysterectomy, it significantly increased 5-year RFS and OS of those with incomplete response: 38.7% vs. 65.3% (p < 0.001) and 63% vs. 82.9% (p = 0.038), respectively.

CONCLUSION

A 70% or more reduction of in tumor size on PPMRI following CRT in patients with LACC is predictive of RFS and OS. PPMRI could help triaging patients who could benefit from completion hysterectomy.

Comparison of neoadjuvant treatments followed by radical surgery or chemoradiation on quality of life in patients with stage IB2-IIA cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

To compare quality of life (Qol) of patients with stage IB2-IIA cervical cancer treated by neoadjuvant treatments followed by radical surgery (NTS) or standard chemoradiation (CRT).

METHODS

Patients with stage IB2-IIA cervical cancer during 2006-2012 were treated with NTS or CRT and were invited to participate. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cervix (FACT-Cx) Questionnaire was used to assess patient Qol. A multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with Qol.

RESULTS

In total, 90 (78.3%) out of 115 eligible patients completed the questionnaires. No significant differences were found in Qol between treatment groups, except that patients after NTS reported higher scores in the social/family well-being (e.g. satisfaction with sexual life, close relationships with partner or friends, and support from friends) than those after CRT, in particular, during 2-3 years after treatment. Results of multivariate analysis indicated that NTS was associated with better social/family functioning, while advanced stage of cervical cancer, lower family income and lower education were associated with impaired Qol in different domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Although self-reported Qol after treatment were not significantly different, NTS treated patients reported better social/family functioning than CRT treated patients, such as satisfaction with their sexual life and close relationships with partner or friends, during 2-3 years post treatment. These results were helpful for physicians to make treatment decisions while considering treatment-related Qol, and moreover, for rehabilitation and supportive care of patients after treatment. Further validation of our findings in randomized, controlled clinical trials is warranted.

Low Tesla magnetic resonance guided radiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer: first clinical experience

OBJECTIVE

Magnetic resonance-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) represents an innovative approach for personalized radiotherapy treatments and its applications are being explored in various anatomical sites to fully understand its potential advantages. This study describes the first clinical experience of MRgRT application in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The feasibility of the technique is evaluated and its toxicity profile and clinical outcomes are reported.

METHODS

Patients with LACC (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIA-IVA) undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on a 0.35T Tri-60-Co hybrid unit (ViewRay) were retrospectively compared with randomly selected patients treated with a standard linear accelerator. Total prescribed dose was 50.6 Gy (2.3 Gy/fraction) to planning target volume 1 (PTV1) and 39.6 Gy (1.8 Gy/fraction) to PTV2, delivered using a simultaneous integrated boost. Surgery was performed 8 weeks after the end of CRT. The effect of magnetic resonance guidance on replanning approaches, treatment-related toxicities, and pathologic response were assessed for each patient. Patient outcomes were noted and dosimetric comparisons performed between the 2 arms.

RESULTS

Nine patients with LACC treated from May 2018 to November 2018 were retrospectively enrolled and their records compared with the records of an equivalent cohort of randomly selected patients. Five replanning cases were performed in the MRgRT group and 0 in the linear accelerator group. Acute G1-G2 gastrointestinal toxicities were observed in 33.3% of MRgRT patients and in 55.5% of linear accelerator patients; acute G1-G2 genitourinary toxicities in 22.2% and 33.3%, respectively. No G3 toxicity was found except for neutropenia in 2 patients. No differences were observed in pathologic response between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the retrospective nature of the observations and the low number of enrolled patients, the application of MRgRT in LACC appears to be safe and feasible with a favorable toxicity profile and response rates comparable to gold standard, supporting the setup of larger prospective studies to investigate the potentialities of this new technology.

Changes on Midchemoradiation Therapy Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography for Cervical Cancer Are Associated with Prognosis

PURPOSE

To assess whether radiographic and metabolic changes on midchemoradiation therapy (CRT) fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) for cervical cancer predict outcome.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Women with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB1-IVB cervical cancer treated with concurrent cisplatin-based CRT and brachytherapy were enrolled on a single-institution prospective clinical trial; FDG-PET/CT was obtained before CRT and at 30 to 36 Gy. Max and mean standard uptake values, metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) for the primary tumor and clinically involved lymph nodes from the pre-CRT and intra-CRT FDG-PET/CT were recorded. Clinical endpoints analyzed include overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and rates of cervical recurrence (CR), nodal recurrence (NR), and distant metastasis (DM). FDG-PET/CT variables and other prognostic factors associated with clinical endpoints were identified via univariate Cox proportional hazards modeling and competing risk analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty women were enrolled from 2012 to 2016. After a median follow-up of 24 months, 2-year rates of OS, DFS, DM, NR, and CR were 68% (95% confidence interval [CI], 51%-85%), 44% (95% CI, 26%-63%), 42% (95% CI, 23%-59%), 14% (95% CI, 4%-30%), and 10% (95% CI, 2%-24%), respectively. Intra-PET metrics and TLG across all PET scans were most consistently associated with OS, DFS, DM, and NR on univariate analysis. Intra-CRT TLG was associated with OS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.35; 95% CI, 1.15-1.55; P = .001), DFS (HR 1.19; 95% CI, 1.04-1.34; P = .018), and NR (HR 1.25; 95% CI, 1.10-1.40; P = .002). No absolute or relative changes between parameters of baseline and mid-CRT FDG-PET/CT were associated with disease outcomes on univariate analysis, with the exception of relative change in mean standard uptake values and CR (P = .004).

CONCLUSIONS

In this group of patients with high-risk cervical cancer treated with CRT and brachytherapy, TLG and metabolic tumor volume on intra-CRT FDG-PET/CT was associated with OS. These metrics may provide an early signal for selective treatment intensification with either dose escalation or adjuvant chemotherapy.

The role of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in predicting the histopathological response in locally advanced cervical carcinoma treated by chemo-radiotherapy followed by radical surgery: a prospective study

PURPOSE

This prospective study aimed to evaluate whether ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT performed before, during and after neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) could predict histopathological response in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) treated with CRT followed by radical surgery.

METHODS

Between October 2010 and June 2014, 88 patients with LACC were enrolled. For each patient, three ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT scans (baseline, early and final) were acquired and evaluated by qualitative and quantitative analysis. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_max), SUV_mean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured as absolute values and their percentage variation (delta) (early vs. baseline and final vs. baseline). The role of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT in predicting lymph node (LN) residual disease was evaluated by qualitative analysis only. Histopathology was the reference standard.

RESULTS

At histopathology, 40 patients had complete response (CR, pR0), 48 had partial response (PR: 21 microscopic [pR1] and 27 macroscopic [pR2]). At baseline, SUV_max and SUV_mean were significantly higher in pR0 than in pR1-pR2 patients. At early evaluation, MTV and TLG were significantly higher in pR1-pR2 than in pR0 patients. At final evaluation, SUV_max, SUV_mean and TLG were significantly higher in pR1-pR2 than in pR0 patients. Delta SUV parameters and delta TLG were significantly lower in PR group both during and after CRT. Delta MTV was significantly lower in patients with PR in the early phase only. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, baseline SUV_mean, early delta TLG, and final delta SUV_max better discriminated PR, providing 83.3%, 67.6% and 85% positive predictive value (PPV) and 60.3%, 90% and 70.8% negative predictive value (NPV), respectively. For LN assessment, high NPV was observed at early and final ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT (93.5% and 92.3%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In LACC patients treated with CRT followed by surgery, early variations in metabolic parameters effectively discriminate histopathological PR of the primary tumor, suggesting the potential role of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT in early personalized treatment. The high NPV of early and final PET/CT could enable "tailored surgery" by avoiding lymphadenectomy in selected patients.

Surgery of primary sites for stage IVB cervical cancer patients receiving chemoradiotherapy: a population-based study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of surgery of primary sites on stage IVB cervical cancer patients from a population-based database, the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER).

METHODS

Propensity score matching was performed to minimize heterogeneity in patient between with-surgery group and without-surgery group. Clinicopathological characteristics were compared using the χ² or Fisher's exact test. Survival analysis included the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Between 2010-2015, a total of 1,139 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IVB cervical cancer patients receiving chemoradiotherapy (CRT) were included in this retrospective study. Within post-matching cohort, the median duration of overall survival (OS) in stage IVB cervical cancer patients receiving CRT was 22 months. The overall 5-year survival rate was 25.7%. The increasing American Joint Committee on Cancer T stage (T1 vs. T2, p=0.033, hazard ratio [HR]=1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.05-3.05; T1 vs. T3, p=0.003, HR=2.20, 95% CI=1.31-3.67; T1 vs. T4, p=0.037, HR=2.75, 95% CI=1.06-7.12) and visceral metastasis (with vs. without, p=0.038, HR=1.60, 95% CI=1.03-2.49) was reported as independent risk factors of OS. Surgery of primary sites combined with CRT tended to prolong the survival of stage IVB cervical cancer patients (p<0.001, HR=0.36, 95% CI=0.21-0.61) compared with CRT, especially for patients without visceral metastasis (p=0.005, HR=0.31, 95% CI=0.14-0.70).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, patients with stage IVB cervical cancer may achieve their best outcomes through CRT combined with surgery of primary sites. However, it deserves large scale prospective clinical trials to confirm.

A combined ANXA2-NDRG1-STAT1 gene signature predicts response to chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

A better understanding of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) is mandatory for further improving the rates of disease control, since a significant proportion of patients still fail to respond or undergo relapse after concurrent chemoradiation treatment (CRT), and survival for these patients has generally remained poor.

METHODS

To identify specific markers of CRT response, we compared pretreatment biopsies from LACC patients with pathological complete response (sensitive) with those from patients showing macroscopic residual tumor (resistant) after neoadjuvant CRT, using a proteomic approach integrated with gene expression profiling. The study of the underpinning mechanisms of chemoradiation response was carried out through in vitro models of cervical cancer.

RESULTS

We identified annexin A2 (ANXA2), N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) as biomarkers of LACC patients' responsiveness to CRT. The dataset collected through qPCR on these genes was used as training dataset to implement a Random Forest algorithm able to predict the response of new patients to this treatment. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated the key role of the identified genes in the balance between death and survival of tumor cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results define a predictive gene signature that can help in cervical cancer patient stratification, thus providing a useful tool towards more personalized treatment modalities.

A prospective study on neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy plus anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody followed by surgery for locally advanced cervical cancer

Background

To investigate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy plus anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody followed by surgery for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC).

Patients and methods

Patients with histologically proven LACC were enrolled into this prospective study. All patients received intensity-modulated radiation therapy with conventional fractionation. Weekly cisplatin or nedaplatin was administered concurrently with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Nimotuzumab, a humanized anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody, was given at a dose of 200 mg per week for 6 cycles. Approximately 1 month after the completion of neoadjuvant treatment, the patients were assessed for clinical tumor response and operability based on MRI and gynecological examination. For those who were considered to be candidates for surgery, radical hysterectomy, and pelvic lymph node dissection were performed 5–6 weeks after the completion of neoadjuvant therapy.

Results

Twenty-eight patients were enrolled. Clinical complete response and partial response were found in 8 (28.5%) and 20 (71.5%) patients, respectively. Four patients were not eligible for surgery and 2 patients refused surgery although they were assessed as surgical candidates. They were not included in this analysis. Radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection were performed for the remaining 22 patients. Among them, 8 (36.4%) had complete pathology response, 9 (40.9%) presented with persistent atypical cells or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and 5 (22.7%) presented with macroscopic and/or microscopic residual disease, according to the pathological evaluation. Median follow-up time was 22 months (range, 5–39 months). The 2-year locoregional control rate, progression-free survival rate, distant metastasis-free survival rate, and overall survival rate were 95.0%, 85.2%, 84.0%, and 90.0%, respectively. Acute toxicities were mild in general and easily manageable. Chronic toxicities were mainly limited to grade 1. No severe late toxicities were observed.

Conclusion

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy plus nimotuzumab followed by surgery is highly effective and safe in LACC. Further studies are warranted to confirm the findings.

Prognostic value of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio in predicting overall survival of Chinese cervical cancer patients overall survival: comparison among various inflammation based factors

Background: Many studies have shown the prognostic value of inflammation based factors in different cancers. This work aimed to explore the prognostic value of pretreatment C-reactive protein/albumin (CRP/Alb) ratio in patients with cervical cancer, and compared to other inflammatory prognostic factors, such as neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR), Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), prognostic index (PI), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), clinicopathological parameter and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag).

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of the data related to 229 patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer. The potential prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate survival analysis. The correlation between CRP/Alb ratio and other prognostic factors were analyzed by Chi-Square or Fisher's exact test.

Results: Multivariate analyses showed that CRP/Alb ratio was an independent predictor of overall survival (OS) in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (HR, hazard ratio = 2.529; p = 0.045), but not in all cases of cervical cancer. However, NLR was a prognostic factor in the whole cervical cancer (HR = 2.47; p = 0.020) as well as in SCC subgroup (HR = 2.28; p = 0.038). Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed that NLR showed a positive correlation with CRP/Alb ratio (p < 0.001). The combined index of NLR and CRP/Alb ratio could enhance the prognostic value compared to NLR or CRP/Alb ratio alone. Moreover, a high CRP/Alb ratio > 0.022 was associated with older patients (p < 0.001) and more advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages (p < 0.001). In addition, NLR and CRP/Alb ratio were associated with SCC-Ag concentration in SCC. Furthermore, CRP/Alb ratio was a superior prognosis factor than mGPS, PI, PLR and PNI in SCC. Moreover, positive correlation was present among SCC-Ag, NLR and CRP/Alb ratio.

Conclusions: CRP/Alb ratio might be considered as a novel prognosis factor and combined with NLR could improve the accuracy of OS prediction in patients with cervical cancer as well as its most common histological SCC subtypes.

Individualized pelvic lymphadenectomy should follow neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer

To study the outcomes following concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and subsequent radical surgery for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), analyze the relationship between imaging-diagnosed and postoperative-diagnosed lymph node (LN) involvement, and identify patients who would benefit from individualized pelvic lymphadenectomy.We retrospectively reviewed records of 410 patients who underwent CCRT followed by radical surgery for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stage Ib2-IIIb disease. Correlations of LN size on imaging before CCRT with pathological responses after CCRT, overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and complications were analyzed.During a median follow-up of 51.3 months, the respective 5-year OS and DMFS were 86.7% and 88.6%, respectively. Pathological primary tumor type, LN size on imaging before CCRT, and pathologic response after CCRT were independent prognostic factors for OS. Patients with a LN ≥0.8 cm had a significantly higher residual carcinoma rate versus those with LN <0.8 cm (33% vs 22.6%, P = .032). Postoperative pathological positive LN frequencies differed significantly by LN size on imaging (LN <0.8 cm vs LN ≥0.8 cm, 3% vs 19.3%, P < .0001). Grade 1-3 lower extremity edema occurred in 23.9% of cases; no grade 3-4 gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were observed.CCRT followed by radical surgery for LACC yielded encouraging outcomes without unacceptable complications. Additionally, patients with a LN <0.8 cm on imaging before CCRT had a very low risk of postoperative pathological positive LN identification. Individualized pelvic lymphadenectomy (e.g., omitting or limiting the extent of LN dissection) might be an alternative option for some patients with a low risk of LN metastasis.

The effect of surgery on the survival status of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer after radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To determine the effect of surgery on the survival status of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer after radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest and Medline were searched using the key words "cervical cancer", "locally advanced disease", "radiotherapy" and "surgery or hysterectomy". Eight articles were selected and analysed using the STATA 12.0 software package. The log hazard ratio (HR) and its standard error for overall survival were calculated to assess the effect of surgery on patients with locally advanced cervical cancer after radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy.

RESULTS

In total, 2176 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer were identified. The pooled HR for overall survival was 1.13 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.906-1.409), and there were no differences among the eight manuscripts (z = 1.08, p = 0.278). In the subgroup analysis, the pooled HR for overall survival was 1.169 (95% CI 0.924-1.480), and no differences among patients with stage IB-IIB disease were found in six articles (z = 1.30, p = 0.193). There was no publication bias regarding overall survival or stage IB-IIB disease.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis suggested that surgery had no effect on overall survival after radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy; therefore, it is not recommended for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

Neoadjuvant brachytherapy and chemotherapy followed by radical surgery for stage IB2 and IIA cervical cancer: A retrospective comparison with chemoirradiation

The aim of the present study was to assess the immediate and long-term results of preoperative brachytherapy and chemotherapy followed by radical surgery compared with those of standard chemoirradiation in patients with stage IB2-IIA cervical cancer. The medical records of 70 patients with stage IB2 and IIA cervical cancer who were treated between June 2006 and June 2010 were reviewed. The patients received either standard chemoirradiation (CRT) treatment (n=20) or neoadjuvant brachytherapy with one cycle of chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy [operation (OT) group; n=50]. Further adjuvant chemoirradiation was administered to patients with high-risk disease. Early and late complications as well as survival were compared between the two groups. No serious operative complications occurred in the OT group. In the CRT group, the incidence of symptomatic vaginal stenosis, as well as that of proctitis and cystitis, was higher compared with that in the OT group (35 vs. 4% and 20 vs. 2%, repectively). The median follow-up period was 52 months (range, 11-84 months). In the CRT group, the 3-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 95% [95% confidence interval (CI): 76.14-86.46] and 90% (95% CI: 59.94-73.66), respectively, whereas in the OT group, the respective rates were 90% (95% CI: 72.93-83.07) and 90% (95% CI: 71.84-82.96). In conclusion, the survival of patients with stage IB2-IIA cervical cancer treated with preoperative brachytherapy and chemotherapy followed by radical surgery was similar to that of patients treated with chemoirradiation, but with a more favorable side effect profile. Thus, this tri-modal treatment option requires further evaluation in prospective randomized studies.

Multimodal treatment including hysterectomy improves survival in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer: A population-based, propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the therapeutic value of multimodal treatment including hysterectomy in locally advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIB-III cervical SCC and received chemotherapy and radiotherapy with or without hysterectomy between 2000 and 2013 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Propensity score-matching was used to balance baseline characteristics of included patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to determine prognostic factors for cervical cancer specific-survival (CCSS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

We identified 2473 patients and 522 pairs of patients were completely matched with each other. In the unmatched population, patients with younger age, non-black race, poorly/undifferentiated disease, FIGO stage IIB disease, and node-positive disease were more likely to receive additional hysterectomy. Additional hysterectomy was associated with better CCSS and OS in unmatched and matched populations. Moreover, when evaluating the survival difference by FIGO stage, only stage IIB disease retained statistical significance but not for stage III disease in unmatched and matched populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that multimodal treatment including hysterectomy might improve survival outcomes in patients with locally advanced cervical SCC, especially for stage IIB disease.

Could lymphadenectomy be avoided in locally advanced cervical cancer patients administered preoperative chemoradiation? A large-scale retrospective study

INTRODUCTION

To identify a subset of cervical cancer (CC) patients administered chemoradiation (CT/RT) plus radical surgery (RS), who can be spared lymphadenectomy, and complications.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

430 Stage IB2-IIB patients without LN involvement at imaging were accrued (March 1996-December 2015) at Gynecologic Oncology Unit of the Catholic University of Rome/Campobasso. CT/RT consisted of pelvic irradiation plus cisplatin based chemotherapy. Objective response was evaluated according to RECIST criteria; radical hysterectomy and pelvic ± aortic lymphadenectomy was attempted in patients achieving response or stable disease. Surgical morbidity was classified according to the Chassagne grading system.

RESULTS

421 cases underwent RS; metastatic pelvic and aortic LNs were documented in 10.7%, and 8.8% of cases, respectively. In patients without residual tumor in the cervix, there was only 1 case (0.53%) with positive pelvic LNs, and 1 case (2.3%) with metastatic aortic LNs. Analysis of patients according to pre- and post-CT/RT imaging was able to select cases without any metastatic LNs: in patients with negative pelvic LNs at pre- and post-CT/RT imaging, none of cases without residual disease in the cervix had metastatic pelvic or aortic LNs. Of 149 early complications, 76 (51.0%) were lymphovascular. The most frequent late complications were lymphovascular (N = 25/61, 41.0%).

CONCLUSION

Lymphadenectomy could be avoided in stage IB2-IIB CC patients undergoing preoperative CT/RT, when a careful evaluation of pre- and post-CT/RT imaging and histological assessment of no residual disease in the cervix is made. This approach may avoid lymphadenectomy in 40% of patients with a favourable impact on lymphovascular morbidity.

The relevance of prelamin A and RAD51 as molecular biomarkers in cervical cancer

Along with their role in the maintenance of nuclear architecture, nuclear lamins also control genomic stability, DNA damage repair, transcription, cell proliferation, differentiation and senescence. Recent reports reveal that prelamin A–processing defects play a role in cancer development by impacting on transcription of key players in the maintenance of the genome stability, including RAD51. Here, we performed a ‘proof of concept’ study evaluating the role of prelamin A and RAD51 expression in clinical outcome of cervical cancer patients. We analyzed biomarker expression by immunohistochemistry in tumor material from locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) patients (n=66) and correlated data with clinicopathological parameters and with response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CT/RT). In LACC patients who underwent neoadjuvant CT/RT the percentage of cases showing high prelamin A levels was greater in patients who completely responded to treatment (25 of 40, 62.5%) than in patients with macroscopic residual tumor (6 of 26, 23.1%, p=0.0024). Conversely, patients showing high RAD51 expression were less likely to respond to treatment (14 of 26, 53.8%) than were those with low protein levels (12 of 40, 30%, p=0.072). Only prelamin A retained an independent role in predicting response to treatment (p=0.003), while RAD51 approached statistical significance (p=0.07). Notably, high RAD51 expression highly significantly predicted poor outcome, emerging as an independent prognostic factor for disease free survival (p=0.038), while approaching statistical significance for overall survival (p=0.09). Our findings provide a framework for future prospective studies investigating molecular predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in LACC patients.

Use of Metabolic Parameters as Prognostic Factors During Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the use of metabolic parameters as early prognostic factors during concomitant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cervix carcinoma (LACC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between February 2008 and January 2012, 34 consecutive patients treated for LACC (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Staging System stage IB2-IVA) were included in a retrospective study. Treatment was standard of care: total dose of 45 Gy in 1.8 Gy per fraction with concurrent cisplatin followed by brachytherapy. 18F-FDG PET-CT modalities were performed before treatment and per-treatment (at 40 Gy). The analyzed parameters were: maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), SUVmax variations of the primary tumor between the 2 investigations (DSUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). Survival was assessed according to early metabolic changes during chemoradiotherapy.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 16 months (range, 5.3 to 32.4 mo). Median SUVmax before treatment was 13.15 (5.9 to 31) and was 5.05 (0 to 12) per-treatment. Median DSUVmax was 63.97% (0% to 100%). Median MTV before treatment was 44.16 mL (3.392 to 252.768 mL) and was 5.44 mL (0 to 69.88 mL) per-treatment. Median TLG before treatment was 249.82 mL (13.40 to 1931.10 mL) and was 20.14 mL (0 to 349.99 mL) per-treatment. At 40 Gy, SUVmax≥6, DSUVmax≤40%, MTV≥5.6 mL, and TLG≥21.6 mL were significantly associated with overall survival and progression-free survival reduction. MTV predicted progression with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 87.5% and TLG with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 83.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

PET-CT imaging could be useful as an early prognostic factor during treatment for LACC. MTV and TLG seem to provide better prognostic information than SUVmax and DSUVmax.

Cervical cancer response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: MRI assessment compared with surgery

BACKGROUND

Imaging findings of residual cervical tumor after chemoradiotherapy can closely resemble those of post-irradiation inflammation.

PURPOSE

To determine the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluating residual disease after chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma (LACC).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 41 patients with histopathologically proven LACC (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage ≥IB2) who underwent MRI before and after chemoradiotherapy. At each examination, a qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of primary tumor, including tumor volume and signal intensity were assessed on T2-weighted (T2W) images. All patients had surgery after post-chemoradiotherapy MRI. MRI and histopathologic results were compared.

RESULTS

All patients showed significant difference in tumor volume and signal intensity between pre- and post-chemoradiotherapy MRI (P < 0.0001). According to pathology, 27/41 (66%) patients had true negative and 2/41 (5%) had true positive post-chemoradiotherapy MRI. Eleven out of 41 (27%) patients showed inflammation with false positive post-chemoradiotherapy MRI and 1/41 (2%) had a false negative post-chemoradiotherapy MRI. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values of post-chemoradiotherapy MRI in predicting residual disease were 69%, 71%, 71%, 15%, and 96%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The differentiation of residual tumor from post-irradiation inflammation with early post- chemoradiotherapy MRI (within 28-60 days) is difficult with a high risk of false positive results. Combination of qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis does not improve the accuracy. Conversely, post-chemoradiotherapy MRI has a high negative predictive value with a low risk of false negative results. The role of conventional MRI combined with functional techniques should be evaluated.

Radical hysterectomy after chemoradiation in FIGO stage III cervical cancer patients versus chemoradiation and brachytherapy: Complications and 3-years survival

BACKGROUND

To compare patterns and rates of early and late complications, and survival outcome in FIGO stage III cervical cancer patients underwent to radical hysterectomy after chemo-radiation (CT-RT) vs. chemo-radiation alone.

METHODS

Between May 1996 and April 2013 150 FIGO stage III cervical cancer patients were treated. We divide patients according to type of treatment: 77 were submitted to standard treatment (Group A), and 73 to completion hysterectomy after chemo-radiation (Group B).

RESULTS

The baseline characteristics of the 2 groups were superimposable. We observed lower intra-operative and treatment-related early urinary and gastro-intestinal complications in Group B with respect to Group A (p < 0.001). Vascular complications were registered only in Group B (p < 0.001). We found a significantly higher rate of local recurrences in the Group A than in the Group B (p < 0.002). We registered 29 deaths in the Group A and 22 in the Group B (p = 0.021). The 3-years disease-free survival rate in the Group A and in the Group B was 62.9% and 68.3%, respectively (p = 0.686), and the 3-years overall survival rate in the Group A and in the Group B was 63.2% and 67.7%, respectively (p = 0.675).

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms that radical hysterectomy after CT-RT is an effective therapeutic approach for advanced cervical cancer. Further prospective and randomized studies should be performed in order to solve the question about the standard approach, and how the different pattern of complication could impact on the quality of life.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer: background including evidence-based data, pitfalls of the data, limitation of treatment in certain groups

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is regarded as the standard treatment for locally advanced uterine cervical cancer (LACC), including stage Ib2-IVa disease [International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging]. However, approximately a third of eligible patients in previous studies died of LACC despite receiving CCRT. The therapeutic significance of CCRT alone in stage III-IVa disease has not yet been confirmed. Effective treatment of some LACC is beyond the scope of CCRT. The objective of the present review is to highlight some challenging work aimed at overcoming this seemingly intractable disease. CCRT with increased peak concentrations of cisplatin (CDDP), surgery following CCRT, adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) following CCRT, and neoadjuvant CT followed by CCRT are strategies expected to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of CCRT. If patients with LACC were divided into those with low-risk or high-risk systemic disease or prognoses, novel strategies should be assessed in the group with high-risk disease.

Extrafascial hysterectomy after concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced cervical adenocarcinoma

Objective

To evaluate whether adjuvant simple hysterectomy after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) improves progression-free survival (PFS) compared with current standard care in locally advanced cervical adenocarcinoma (LACAC).

Methods

We reviewed a cohort of 55 patients with LACAC (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] stage IB2, IIA2, IIB, III without distant metastasis) diagnosed and treated with radical CCRT at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2004 and October 2014. We compared 34 patients who underwent adjuvant extrafascial hysterectomy with 21 patients with standard care after CCRT. The primary outcome was PFS. Overall survivals (OS) between the two groups were also compared. Surgery feasibility, operative complications, and pathologic features after radiation therapy were also analyzed.

Results

PFS was significantly improved in surgery group (log-rank p=0.0097; hazard ratio [HR], 0.3431; 95% CI, 0.152 to 0.772), as were OS (log-rank p=0.0419; HR, 0.3667; 95% CI, 0.139 to 0.964). Analysis of stage IIB demonstrates a similar result. There were no severe complications related to postradiation surgery in this series. The mean blood loss was less in laparoscopic group than those in the open group (87 mL vs. 208 mL, p=0.036, Mann-Whitney U-test). Approximately 47% patients (16/34) had pathologic residue tumor on hysterectomy specimens. About 94% patients (32/34) got complete remission after adjuvant surgery.

Conclusion

Adjuvant hysterectomy after CCRT improves survival outcome for patients with LACAC compared with current standard care. Extrafascial hysterectomy is sufficient in tumor reduction and laparoscopic procedure may be more promising with lower blood loss and expedite recovery.

Adenocarcinoma of the cervix: should we treat it differently?

Worldwide, cervical cancer is a leading cause of mortality among women, causing 265,653 deaths annually. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounts for 75% of cervical cancer cases in the USA, while adenocarcinoma (AC) accounts for 25%. The incidence of SCC is decreasing in the USA, yet AC is increasing. Many differences exist between cervical SCC and AC including anatomic origin, risk factors, prognosis, dissemination, sites of recurrence, and rates of metastasis. Despite differences, current treatment algorithms do not distinguish between cervical SCC and AC. To date, prospective research directed toward AC is limited. We review published differences in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and concomitant chemotherapy with radiation, the role of adjuvant radical hysterectomy, and optimal chemotherapy for cervical AC. Cervical AC is sufficiently distinct from SCC to warrant specific treatment recommendations; however, lack of data evaluating AC limit recommendations. Additional prospective AC cervix specific research is needed.

Intensity-modulated extended-field chemoradiation plus simultaneous integrated boost in the pre-operative treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer: a dose-escalation study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the feasibility and determine the recommended pre-operative intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) dose of extended-field chemoradiation along with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) dose escalation.

METHODS

A radiation dose of 40 Gy over 4 weeks, 2 Gy/fraction, was delivered to the tumour and the lymphatic drainage (planning target volume, PTV3), which encompassed a volume larger than standard (common iliac lymphatic area up to its apex, in front of the L3 vertebra), concurrently with chemotherapy (cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil). Radiation dose was escalated to the pelvis (PTV2) and to the macroscopic disease (PTV1) with the SIB-IMRT strategy. Three dose levels were planned: Level 1 (PTV3: 40/2 Gy; PTV2: 40/2 Gy; PTV1: 45/2.25 Gy), Level 2 (PTV3: 40/2 Gy; PTV2: 45/2.25 Gy; PTV1: 45/2.25 Gy) and Level 3 (PTV3: 40/2 Gy; PTV2: 45/2.25 Gy; PTV1: 50/2.5 Gy). All treatments were delivered in 20 fractions. Patients were treated in cohorts of between three and six per group using a Phase I study design. The recommended dose was exceeded if two of the six patients in a cohort experienced dose-limiting toxicity within 3 months from treatment.

RESULTS

19 patients [median age: 46 years; The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB2: 3, IIB: 10, IIIA-IIIB: 6] were enrolled. Median follow-up was 24 months (9-60 months). The most common grade 3/4 toxicity was gastrointestinal (GI) (diarrhoea, mucous discharge, rectal/abdominal pain). At Levels 1 and 2, only one grade 3 GI toxicity per level was recorded, whereas at Level 3, two grade 3 GI toxicities (diarrhoea, emesis and nausea) were recorded.

CONCLUSION

The SIB-IMRT technique was found to be feasible and safe at the recommended doses of 45 Gy to PTV1 and PTV2 and 40 Gy to PTV3 in the pre-operative treatment of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Unfortunately, this complex technique was unable to safely escalate dose beyond levels already achieved with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy technique given acute GI toxicity.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

A Phase I radiotherapy dose-escalation trial with SIB-IMRT technique is proposed in cervical cancer. This complex technique is feasible and safe at the recommended doses.

The Role of Adjuvant Hysterectomy After Radiotherapy in Cervical Cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate the morbidity and survival outcome following radical hysterectomy after chemoradiotherapy in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages IB-IIB cervical cancer patients in whom intracavitory brachytherapy was not feasible. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of our patients who underwent adjuvant radical hysterectomy between January 2005 and December 2012. Post-operative complications were graded according to the grading system of Chassagne et al. (Radiother Oncol 26:195-202, 1993). Survival analysis was done using Kaplan-Meir method. Between January 2005 and December 2012, 43 patients underwent type 2 radical hysterectomy after external beam radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy. The median age of the study group was 44 years (range 28-63 years). There were no perioperative deaths. In the early post-operative period, there were 45 complications in 29 patients of which three were of grade 3 severity. The most common post operative complications were urinary tract infections and lymphoedema. The median follow-up time was 29 months (range 9-68 months). The 5-year overall survival was 85.5 % and disease-free survival 82.1 %. This study shows that radical hysterectomy is feasible with good survival outcome and acceptable morbidity after chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer patients.

Laparoscopic Extrafascial Hysterectomy (Completion Surgery) After Primary Chemoradiation in Patients With Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: Technical Aspects and Operative Outcomes

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic extrafascial hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy after primary chemoradiation (CRT) in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) without evidence of nodal metastasis.

Background

Currently, the standard of care for patients with advanced cervical cancer is concurrent CRT. There is an unequivocal correlation between presence of residual disease and risk of local relapse. Nevertheless, the importance of hysterectomy in adjuvant setting remains controversial.

Methods

Prospective study with patients affected by bulky LACC (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB2 up to IIB) treated initially with radical CRT who underwent laparoscopic surgery 12 weeks after therapy conclusion. Inclusion criteria were absence of signs for extrapelvic or nodal involvement on initial imaging staging, as well as complete clinical and radiologic response.

Results

From January 2011 to March 2013, 33 patients were endoscopically operated. The mean age was 44 years (range, 21–77 years). Histologic finding revealed squamous cell carcinoma in 19 (60%) cases and adenocarcinoma in 14 (40%) cases. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages distribution were as follow: 1B2, n = 3 (9%); IIA, n = 4 (11%); and IIB, n = 26 (80%). The mean pretherapeutic tumor size was 5.2 cm (range, 4–10.2 cm). Estimated blood loss was 80 mL (range, 40–150 mL), and mean operative time was approximately 104 minutes (range, 75–130 minutes). No casualty or conversion to laparotomy occurred. Hospital stay was in average 1.7 days (range, 1–4 days). Significant complication occurred in 12% of the cases; 2 vaginal vault dehiscence, 1 pelvic infection, and 1 ureterovaginal fistula. Nine (27%) patients had pathologic residual disease, and in 78% of these cases, histologic finding was adenocarcinoma (P = −0.048). All patients had free margins. After median follow-up of 16 months, all women have no signs of local recurrence.

Conclusions

Laparoscopic extrafascial hysterectomy (completion surgery) after primary CRT in patients with apparent node-negative LACC is a feasible and safe strategy to improve tumor local control mainly in cases of adenocarcinoma.

Comparison of concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgery and high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy: a retrospective study of 240 patients with FIGO stage IIB cervical carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to compare the long-term survival outcome and late toxicity in patients with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage IIB cervical carcinoma after two treatment modalities, ie, concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgery and concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy.

METHODS

Between November 2004 and November 2011, 240 patients with FIGO stage IIB cervical carcinoma were analyzed, comprising 119 patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgery (group 1) and 121 patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy (group 2). Local control, overall survival, progression-free survival, and treatment-related complications were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The median follow-up duration was 36 months. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgery showed a survival benefit when comparing group 1 and group 2 (3-year overall survival, 94.9% versus 84.6%, P=0.011; 3-year progression-free survival, 91.0% versus 81.8%, P=0.049, respectively). Three-year local pelvic control was 94.6% in group 1 and 93.3% in group 2 (P=0.325). Prognostic factors in group 1 were: age (≤35 years versus >35 years), 3-year progression-free survival (74.1% versus 90.9%, P=0.037); tumor diameter (≥6 cm versus <6 cm); and 3-year progression-free survival, (60.6% versus 92.9%, P=0.004). Prognostic factors in group 2 were: tumor diameter (≥4 cm versus <4 cm); 3-year overall survival (78.0% versus 94.8%, P=0.043); tumor diameter (≥6 cm versus <6 cm); 3-year progression-free survival (42.9% versus 84.2%, P=0.032); and 3-year overall survival (42.9% versus 87.1%, P=0.013). Further, 50 patients (42.02%) in group 1 and 46 patients (38.02%) in group 2 suffered from late complications. Analysis of the difference in composition of late complications showed that the rate of leg edema was higher in group 1 (35.29% versus 4.96%, P=0.000) while the rate of radiation enteritis was higher in group 2 (30.58% versus 5.04%, P=0.000).

CONCLUSION

In patients with FIGO stage IIB cervical carcinoma, concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgery achieved higher overall survival and progression-free survival rates in comparison with radical radiotherapy associated with concurrent chemotherapy. Tumor diameter could be a common prognostic factor in these two groups of patients.

Prognostic value of different patterns of squamous cell carcinoma antigen level for the recurrent cervical cancer

Purpose

In some unusual cases, in patients with cervical cancer, an elevation of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) was not observed at diagnosis but was observed on recurrence, or vice versa. The objective of this study was to identify patient-, disease-, and treatment-related factors associated with this unusual level of SCC-Ag, and to determine whether SCC-Ag is a useful tumor marker in such patients.

Materials and Methods

Among 129 patients with recurrence, 14 who showed a normal SCC-Ag level at diagnosis but an elevated level at recurrence were classified as group I; 22 patients with an elevated SCC-Ag level at diagnosis but not at recurrence were classified as group II; and 76 patients with an elevated SCC-Ag level at both diagnosis and recurrence were classified as group III.

Results

In univariate analysis, unusual SCC-Ag showed statistically significant relationships with pathology and biochemical response to treatment. However, in the multivariate analysis, none of the clinicopathologic factors showed a statistical relationship with unusual levels of SCC-Ag. The 5-year disease-free survival rates for groups I, II, and III were 7.1%, 9.1%, and 0% (p=0.418), and the 5-year overall survival rates were 34.3%, 58.4%, and 33.3% (p=0.142), respectively.

Conclusion

The value of SCC-Ag has been confirmed in all patients; thus, check of SCC-Ag level at follow-up should be considered. Although no statistically significant differences were observed among the groups, we conclude that patients with a high initial SCC-Ag and elevated SCC-Ag at relapse have poor prognosis due to high SCC-Ag level.