Five-year cure of cervical cancer treated using californium-252 neutron brachytherapy

Combination of external beam radiotherapy and Californium (Cf)-252 neutron intracavity brachytherapy is more effective in control of cervical squamous cell carcinoma than that of cervical adenocarcinoma

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of combined external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and Californium (Cf)-252 neutron intracavity brachytherapy (ICBT) on cervical squamous versus adenocarcinoma. A total of 106 patients with stage IB-IIIB cervical cancer were accrued between January 2005 and May 2011 and divided into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) as a pair with 53 patients in each group according to tumor size, stage, age, and hemoglobin level using matched-pair design. The whole pelvic EBRT was performed with 2 Gy/fraction, 4 fractions/week. The total dose was 48-54 Gy (the center of whole pelvic field was blocked by 4 cm in width after 20-36 Gy). Cf-252 neutron ICBT was delivered with 11 and 12 Gy-eq/f with the total dose at point A of 44 and 48 Gy-eq for SCC and AC patients, respectively. The mean follow-up time was 43 months. The 5-year LC, OS, DFS, LAC rates, and mean survival time were 66.0, 56.6, 52.8.0, 17.0%, and 76.4 ± 6.2 months, respectively, for AC patients, whereas they were 81.1, 69.8, 67.9, 11.3%, and 93.3 ± 4.3 months, respectively, for SCC patients. Furthermore, the early treatment toxicity was mild in both groups, the late treatment complications were mainly radiation-induced proctitis and cystitis, and there were no grade 3 or higher complications. Although the combination of Cf-252 neutron ICBT and EBRT was effective in both histology types of cervical cancer, a more aggressive strategy is needed to control cervical AC.

A review of californium-252 neutron brachytherapy for cervical cancer

Since 1976 a clinical trial has been conducted to test the feasibility, the potential, and to develop methods for using the neutron-emitting radioactive isotope, californium-252 (Cf-252), for the treatment of cervical cancer. A total of 218 patients were treated in the initial study period from 1976 until 1983. The trials initially treated advanced (Stages III and IV) cervical cancer patients using different doses and schedules; they were extended to include unfavorable presentations of Stages I and II because of favorable results in the initial trials. The authors began to treat patients with Stage IB bulky or barrel-shaped tumors and the majority were treated with both radiation and hysterectomy. Actuarial survival was determined for Stage IB disease and was 87% at 5 years and 82% at 10 years. For those tested with preoperative radiation it was 92% at 5 and 87% at 10 years. For Stage II, it was 62% 5 years and 61% at 10. Survival 5 years after combined radiation and surgical therapy for Stage II disease was 68%. For Stage III, it was 33% at 5 years and 25% at 10. However, 5-year survival using the early neutron implant was 46% versus approximately 19% for delayed Cf-252 or cesium 137. Different schedules and sequences of neutrons and photons greatly altered outcome. Neutron treatment before external photon therapy was better for all stages of disease. Only about 5% of all patients developed complications after neutron therapy. No hematologic or mesenchymal second tumors were observed. Neutron brachytherapy was found to be very effective for producing rapid response and greatly improved local control of bulky, barrel, or advanced cervical cancers. The clinical trial identified and evolved schedules, doses, doses per session, and developed methods different from standard photon therapy but highly effective for local control and cure of cervical cancers of all stages. Clinical and radiobiologic understanding for the use of neutron therapy was greatly advanced by this trial. Future trials will focus on patients with advanced disease and will require evaluation of adjuvant chemotherapy studies and neutron-enhancing chemicals.

Phase I-II clinical trial of Californium-252. Treatment of stage IB carcinoma of the cervix

Intracavitary Californium-252 combined with whole-pelvis photon radiotherapy was tested as the sole form of treatment for 22 patients with Stage IB carcinoma of the cervix. Californium-252 (Cf) is a fast neutron-emitting radioisotope currently being tested in trials of neutron brachytherapy (NT). The outcomes of the treated group of patients were traced for local tumor control, survival, patterns of failure, and complications. The Cf intracavitary therapy combined with whole-pelvis photon radiotherapy resulted in 95% 2-year and 91% 5-year actuarial survival. There were 9% Grade II-III complications by the Stockholm scale and 4% local failures. These results were obtained in an early clinical trial with a group of largely poor-risk patients with tumors of mean diameter of 4.3 cm.

Radiotherapy with or without misonidazole for patients with stage IIIB or stage IVA squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: preliminary report of a Radiation Therapy Oncology Group randomized trial

Between August 1980 and November 1984, 119 patients with FIGO Stage IIIB or IVA squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix were randomized to receive radiation therapy (4600 cGy pelvis plus 1000 cGy parametrial boost) followed by intracavitary or external boost to the primary with or without misonidazole (MISO) (400 mg/m2 daily 2 to 4 hours prior to radiation therapy). Patients in the two treatment groups were evenly distributed with respect to stratification variables including stage, Karnofsky Performance score, and positivity of para-aortic nodes. Eighty-nine percent of patients had Stage IIIB disease and 88% had a Karnofsky score of 80 or better. Seventy-five percent of patients treated with radiation therapy alone and 79% of patients treated with radiation therapy plus MISO received a boost via intracavitary application. Life threatening (Grade 4) complications occurred in 5 patients receiving radiation therapy alone and one patient receiving radiation therapy plus MISO. MISO toxicity (Grade 3) was limited to severe nausea and vomiting in two patients. With 119 evaluable patients and a median follow-up of 33 months, 64% of patients receiving radiation therapy alone are alive at 18 months compared with 54% for patients assigned to radiation therapy plus MISO. The median survival for patients treated with radiation therapy alone and radiation therapy plus MISO was 1.9 years and 1.6 respectively. At this point in the study the difference in survival is inconsistent with the hypothesis of an improvement associated with MISO. There have been 23 deaths among the 49 patients treated with radiation therapy plus MISO who have been followed for at least 18 months compared with 17 deaths in 48 patients treated with radiation therapy alone. The chance of observing this number of deaths with radiation therapy plus MISO if the addition of MISO improves survival by 10 to 20% is 0.003 and less than 0.001, respectively. The addition of MISO to radiation failed to improve survival for these patients. The results cannot be explained by an uncharacteristically high survival on the radiation therapy alone arm or by an imbalance in the distribution of prognostic factors. Local-regional control remains a problem in the management of patients with advanced cervical carcinoma. More effective and less toxic radiosensitizing agents are needed.

Cf-252 neutron brachytherapy of short duration for bulky neck tumors

Cf-252 (Cf) neutron brachytherapy (NT) was tested for treatment of bulky neck tumor masses in 13 patients. Complete regression (CR) or partial regression (PR) was obtained in 100% and local control in 85%. Tumors cleared rapidly and completely after an implant therapy of 4-7 hrs. Short duration Cf-NT can produce rapid and complete clearance of bulky tumors. Efficacy was independent of the implant time duration and without unusual adverse side effects or complications. The median survival time (MST) of patients dying of their disease was 6.8 months and 48% of treated patients survived greater than 18 months despite their advanced diseased status.

Feasibility study: results of treatment of primary and recurrent adenocarcinoma of the corpus uteri with californium-252

A trial of Cf-252 for the radiotherapy of primary or recurrent corpus adenocarcinoma was carried out at the University of Kentucky. The patients with primary tumors were of advanced age, poor general medical condition, and had multiple chronic medical illness, poorly differentiated tumors and/or metastatic Stage IVB disease. Fourteen patients with primary tumors were treated and all achieved complete local tumor control. The five year actuarial disease-free survival rate by the Kaplan-Meier method was 100% for Stage I-III disease, although 36% died of other, usually medical, causes. For eight patients treated with recurrent tumors, long term tumor control was 40% four year actuarial disease survival. Local control was 100% for vault recurrences of 3 cm diameter size, but only 6/8 (75%) cleared their pelvic tumors completely. Those that did not had tumors of massive size, distant metastatic disease and adenosquamous or poorly-differentiated (G3) pattern. One additional cut across, infected tumor was controlled for 26 months. Corpus carcinoma was highly sensitive to Cf-252 neutron radiation therapy.

Neutron brachytherapy is better than conventional radiotherapy in advanced cervical cancer

Californium-252 (252Cf), a fast-neutron emitting radioisotope, was used for neutron brachytherapy (NT) of 82 patients with advanced (stage III and IV) cervical cancer. The results were compared with caesium-137 brachytherapy; both isotopes were given in combination with high-dose fractionated pelvic radiotherapy. In patients with stage IIIB disease (ie, tumour to the pelvic side-wall), 252Cf intracavitary therapy resulted in 54% 5-year survival compared with 12% in the caesium group. To be effective, Cf-NT must be given before external beam (photon) therapy.

Therapeutic dosimetry for Cf-252 neutron brachytherapy of pelvic cancer

252Cf (Cf) was used to treat tumors of the cervix and uterus with neutron brachytherapy (NT) in an ongoing clinical trial. Tandem and ovoids insertions were used and combinations of single and multiple applications along with high dose whole pelvic irradiation. Dosimetric analysis of treated cases for patterns of tissue dose were carried out. Tissue dose for Cf-NT was, in general, high for neutron components in the central pelvis only, and fell off rapidly with distance from the applicators. The majority and balance of therapeutic dose was contributed by low linear energy transfer (LET) high energy photon beam radiation to the whole pelvis. Comparison with fast neutron beam therapy (NBT) isodose curves showed that much more homogeneous neutron dose was delivered to the pelvic tumor and organs by NBT. Complication frequency has been reported to be higher for neutron beam therapy than for Cf-NT. It appears that the higher integral neutron biological dose to normal tissues for NBT compared to intracavitary Cf-NT probably contributed to the frequency of side effects.