Individually customised parametrial boost for locally advanced cervical cancer: is 2D planned external beam radiotherapy useful?

Aim:

Pelvic wall control and toxicity was retrospectively assessed in patients who received individually customised parametrial boost (PMB) for locally advanced cervical cancer with 2D planned external beam radiotherapy. Outcomes of a dose-escalated combined boost were also evaluated.

Materials and methods:

Toxicity and pelvic wall recurrence was evaluated over a median period of 24 months between two groups who received different pelvic wall doses. One group was randomised to receive either intracavitary brachytherapy (ICRT) with an external beam PMB using a customised midline shield, or a dose-escalated combined boost with interstitial brachytherapy (ISBT) and PMB. The comparator group received no PMB.

Results:

At 24 months, pelvic wall recurrence occurred in 2/112 and 40/130 with and without PMB, respectively (p < 0·000001). No significant difference in toxicity was noted between boost versus no-boost groups (p = 0·56). Combined ISBT/PMB dose escalation showed no significant difference in pelvic wall recurrence compared with PMB alone (p = 0·49).

Findings:

Individually customised 2D PMBs with 3D image-based ICRT was safe and improved pelvic wall control in locally advanced cervix cancer. Dose-escalated combined boosts offered no significant benefit over standard boost doses.

Which Patients With Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma Might Benefit From Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy?

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors' suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, to patients seen in their own clinical practice. A 55-year-old postmenopausal woman, gravida 5 para 5, with past medical history significant for hypertension, presented to the emergency department with profuse vaginal bleeding and a hemoglobin level of 9 g/dL. The biopsy from an irregular 6-cm cervical mass was consistent with moderately differentiated cervical squamous cell carcinoma. The physical examination did not reveal vaginal or parametrial extension of the tumor. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging disclosed the known carcinoma, as well as a 9.2 × 7.7 × 6.7 cm anterior uterine fibroid (Fig 1). A staging positron emission tomography scan was negative for metastatic disease. After blood transfusion and vaginal packing, the patient was referred to discuss the immediate management of her newly diagnosed bleeding bulky cervical cancer. In the absence of parametrial or vaginal extension and in the absence of lymph node metastasis (both on clinical examination and imaging), she was classified as having International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB2 disease.