Patterns of care for invasive cervical cancer. Results of a national survey of 1984 and 1990

Economic evaluation of DNA ploidy analysis vs liquid-based cytology for cervical screening

Background:

DNA ploidy analysis involves automated quantification of chromosomal aneuploidy, a potential marker of progression toward cervical carcinoma. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of this method for cervical screening, comparing five ploidy strategies (using different numbers of aneuploid cells as cut points) with liquid-based Papanicolaou smear and no screening.

Methods:

A state-transition Markov model simulated the natural history of HPV infection and possible progression into cervical neoplasia in a cohort of 12-year-old females. The analysis evaluated cost in 2012 US$ and effectiveness in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) from a health-system perspective throughout a lifetime horizon in the US setting. We calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) to determine the best strategy. The robustness of optimal choices was examined in deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

Results:

In the base-case analysis, the ploidy 4 cell strategy was cost-effective, yielding an increase of 0.032 QALY and an ICER of $18 264/QALY compared to no screening. For most scenarios in the deterministic sensitivity analysis, the ploidy 4 cell strategy was the only cost-effective strategy. Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves showed that this strategy was more likely to be cost-effective than the Papanicolaou smear.

Conclusion:

Compared to the liquid-based Papanicolaou smear, screening with a DNA ploidy strategy appeared less costly and comparably effective.

Changes in prevalence and clinical characteristics of cervical cancer in the People's Republic of China: a study of 10,012 cases from a nationwide working group

PURPOSE

About one-third of the world's total annual new cervical cancer cases are found in the People's Republic of China. We investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of cervical cancer cases in the People's Republic of China over the past decade.

METHOD

A total of 10,012 hospitalized patients with cervical cancer from regions nationwide were enrolled from 2000 to 2009. Demographic and clinical characteristics, therapeutic strategies, and outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

The mean age at diagnosis of all cervical cancer patients was 44.7 ± 9.5 years, which is 5-10 years younger than mean ages reported before 2000 in the People's Republic of China. The age distribution showed 16.0% of patients were ≤35 years old, 41.7% were 35-45 years old, and 41.7% were >45 years old. Early stage diagnoses were most prevalent: 57.3% were stage I, 33.9% were stage II, and 4.3% were stage III or IV. Most patients (83.9%) were treated with surgery, and only 9.5% had radiotherapy alone. Among 8,405 patients treated with surgery, 68.6% received adjuvant treatments, including chemotherapy (20.9%), radiotherapy (26.0%), and chemoradiotherapy (21.9%). Among stage IA patients, 16.0% were treated with corpus uteri preservation. The proportion of ovarian preservation was 42.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

Cervical cancer cases in the People's Republic of China show increasing prevalence in young patients and at early stages. In the past 10 years, surgery has become the dominant treatment and is increasingly combined with adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stages I and II. Conservative surgical approaches are reasonable options for genital organ preservation in selected patients.

Clinical Approach to Diagnosis and Management of Cancer of the Cervix and Vulva

This content presents pathology of the cervix and vulva - its diagnosis, staging, treatment, and prognosis. The authors distinguish between the clinical staging of cervical cancer and the surgical staging of vulvar cancer and note advances in surgical, medical, and radiation oncology in the treatment of both cervical and vulvar carcinoma that allow for individualization of patient treatment resulting in improved oncologic outcomes and improved quality of life. Treatment algorithms are presented based on the varying stages at which the cancer is diagnosed.

Ethnic Disparities in Cervical Cancer Survival Among Medicare Eligible Women in a Multiethnic Population

Objectives:

To determine predictors of cervical cancer survival by socioeconomic status (SES), urbanization, race/ethnicity, comorbid conditions, and treatment among elderly Medicare-eligible women whose conditions were diagnosed with cervical cancer in a multiethnic population.

Methods:

A total of 538 women with cervical cancer aged 65 years or older were identified from 1999 to 2001 from the Texas Cancer Registry and were linked with the state Medicare data and Texas Vital Records to determine survival times. All women had similar access to care through Medicare fee-for-services insurance. A composite measure of SES was created using census tract-level data as was urbanization. Treatment and comorbid conditions were available from the Medicare data. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used for all-cause and cervical cancer-specific survival analysis.

Results:

Increased age (P < 0.0001) and advanced tumor stage (P < 0.0001) were associated with poorer all-cause and cervical cancer-specific survival. Having a comorbid condition was associated with all-cause survival (P < 0.01) but not cervical cancer-specific mortality. After adjusting for confounders, women receiving some form of treatment were almost half as likely to die with cervical cancer (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.89). After adjustment for all confounders, Hispanic women consistently had lower all-cause and cervical cancer-specific mortality rates relative to non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black women.

Conclusions:

Among women with similar health care coverage, Hispanic women had consistently lower all-cause and cervical cancer-specific mortality rates than other older women whose conditions were diagnosed with this disease in Texas. The presence of comorbid conditions and treatment were important predictors of survival, yet these factors do not explain the survival advantage for Hispanic women.

Racial differences in cervical cancer survival in the Detroit metropolitan area

BACKGROUND

African-American (AA) women have lower survival rates from cervical cancer compared with white women. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) and other variables on racial disparities in overall survival among women with invasive cervical cancer.

METHODS

One thousand thirty-six women (705 white women and 331 AA women) who were diagnosed with primary invasive cancer of the cervix between 1988 and 1992 were identified through the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System (MDCSS), a registry in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Pathology, treatment, and survival data were obtained through SEER. SES was categorized by using occupation, poverty, and educational status at the census tract level. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare overall survival between AA women and white women adjusting for sociodemographics, clinical presentation, and treatment.

RESULTS

AA women were more likely to present at an older age (P<.001), with later stage disease (P<.001), and with squamous histology (P=.01), and they were more likely to reside in a census tract categorized as Working Poor (WP) (P<.001). After multivariate adjustment, race no longer had a significant impact on survival. Women who resided in a WP census tract had a higher risk of death than women from a Professional census tract (P=.05). There was a significant interaction between disease stage and time with the effect of stage on survival attenuated after 6 years.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, factors that affected access to medical care appeared to have a more important influence than race on the long-term survival of women with invasive cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer survival by socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and place of residence in Texas, 1995-2001

OBJECTIVE

The current study explored whether socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity, and rural residence may be linked to poorer cervical cancer survival by stage at diagnosis.

METHODS

Data from 7,237 cervical cancer cases reported to the Texas Cancer Registry from 1995-2001 were used to address the association by stage at diagnosis and cause of death. Zip code-level census data were used to classify residence and to develop a composite variable for SES. Multilevel Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Late stage at diagnosis was a strong predictor of cervical cancer mortality (HR = 6.2, 95% CI 5.5-7.2). SES and race/ethnicity were independently associated with stage at diagnosis. Women residing in areas with lower SES had significantly shorter survival times when diagnosed at an early stage (HR = 3.0, 95% CI 2.1-4.3). Hispanic women had a lower probability of dying from cervical cancer during the follow-up period (HR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.6- 0.8) after adjusting for confounders. The association between lower SES and poorer survival was consistent across all racial/ethnic groups, suggesting the effect of SES may be more important than race.

CONCLUSIONS

SES and race/ethnicity were independently associated with poorer cervical cancer survival in this large Texas sample. Further research is needed to investigate the role of optimal treatment and comorbid conditions in the association between SES and cervical cancer survival.

Socioeconomic status and cervical cancer survival among older women: findings from the SEER-Medicare linked data cohorts

OBJECTIVES

Tumor stage, age, and cell type are well-characterized predictors for cervical cancer survival; socioeconomic factors may also play an important role. The purpose of this study is to estimate cervical cancer survival by socioeconomic indicators and race/ethnicity among elderly women diagnosed with cervical cancer.

METHODS

We studied 1251 women with cervical cancer aged 65 or older, identified between 1992 and 1999 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results [SEER]-Medicare linked data. All women had similar access to care through Medicare fee-for-services insurance. A composite measure of socioeconomic status was created using census tract level data for poverty, education, and income. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used for all-cause and cervical cancer-specific survival analysis.

RESULTS

Increased age (P < 0.0001) and advanced tumor stage (<0.0001) were associated with poorer all-cause and cervical cancer-specific survival. After adjustment for age, stage, and treatment, increased co-morbidity scores and having non-squamous cervical cancer were associated with poorer all-cause survival (P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, women receiving hysterectomy vs. no surgery or any treatment had significantly better all-cause and cervical cancer-specific survival. Socioeconomic factors were not associated with either all-cause (P for trend = 0.79) or cervical cancer-specific (P for trend = 0.81) survival. No racial/ethnic differences in all-cause or cervical cancer-specific survival were observed after adjusting for socioeconomic factors.

CONCLUSION

Among women with similar access to care, neither minority race/ethnicity nor poorer socioeconomic status were associated with poorer survival in this large sample of older women diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer. Presence of co-morbid conditions and treatment were important predictors of cervical cancer survival.

Health care disparities and cervical cancer

OBJECTIVES

We compared cervical cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis, and survival in Medicaid-insured and non-Medicaid-insured populations.

METHODS

We stratified the sample by age and used ordered logistic regression to predict stage at diagnosis and used Cox proportional hazards regression to predict survival.

RESULTS

Medicaid insured nearly one quarter of women diagnosed with cervical cancer. The likelihood of late-stage disease was greatest for women who enrolled in Medicaid after diagnosis. Women younger than 65 years who enrolled in Medicaid after diagnosis were more likely to die from cervical cancer than were women who were not insured by Medicaid (hazard ratio=2.40, 95% confidence interval=1.49, 3.86).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study underscores the importance of cervical cancer screening programs targeted at low-income women.

Long-term survival of patients with advanced/recurrent carcinoma of cervix and vagina after neoadjuvant treatment with methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin with or without the addition of molgramostim, and review of the literature

A randomized phase III study was conducted to assess the addition of molgramostim (GM-CSF) to the combination of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MVAC) in terms of response rate, progression-free survival, and survival in women with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic carcinoma of the cervix or vagina. Patients received four 4-week cycles of methotrexate 30 mg/m2 IV days 1, 15, 22; vinblastine 3 mg/m2 IV days 2, 15, 22; doxorubicin 30 mg/m2 IV day 2; and cisplatin 70 mg/m2 IV day 2 with or without GM-CSF 5 microg/kg every 12 hours subcutaneously days 3 to 12. They were then reevaluated for operability. Those who were not surgical candidates were offered additional chemotherapy until progression or toxicity. Those who were surgical candidates were offered surgical resection of remaining tumor followed by involved-field external beam irradiation to sites of no prior irradiation and intraoperative irradiation to sites of prior external beam irradiation. This trial closed after 36 eligible patients were entered because of poor accrual. Although more than 40% of patients on each arm received fewer than four cycles of MVAC, the clinical response rate was 78% (95% CI: 52-94%) and 50% (95% CI: 26-74%) for MVAC and MVAC + GM-CSF, respectively; the median time to progression was 10.2 and 11.8 months, respectively; and median survival was 13.8 and 16.0 months, respectively. Toxicity was substantial, with more than 40% experiencing grade III to IV leukopenia, and nearly 40% experiencing grade III to IV stomatitis. MVAC with or without GM-CSF support achieves high response rates in patients with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cervical carcinoma despite dose reductions and deletions. Its progression-free survival and overall survival rates appear promising. These results need to be confirmed within a large randomized phase III clinical trial.

Age-specific differences in treatment and survival of patients with cervical cancer in the southeast of The Netherlands, 1986-1996

Age at diagnosis has been proven to be an important determinant of the choice of initial treatment for several sites of cancer. Elderly patients are more likely to receive no treatment or less intensive treatment modalities. This study analysed the influence of age on treatment choice and survival in patients diagnosed with cervical cancer. This population-based study used data on 1176 new cases of invasive cervical cancer diagnosed in the period of 1986-1996 from three regional cancer registries in the Netherlands. All available information on treatment and survival (on 1 January 1998) was recorded. Relative survival rates were calculated according to the Hakulinen method. Relative risks (RR) for excess mortality due to the diagnosis of cervical cancer were calculated with a regression model for relative survival rates. Only 5% of the patients aged 70 years and older (n=224) were diagnosed with stage IA disease, compared with 11 and 30% of the patients aged 50-69 years and 49 years and younger, respectively. Almost 50% of the 70+ patients with stage IB-IIA were treated with radiotherapy as a single treatment modality, whereas 64% of the patients aged < or =49 years were treated with surgery alone. In all age groups, treatment for advanced stage disease (stage > or =IIB) was radiotherapy alone. No treatment was given to 10% of the patients aged 70 years and older, 5% of those aged 50-69 years and 1% of those aged 49 years and younger. Five-year relative survival was 69% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 66-72%) and differed significantly (P=0.001) with age (70+ years: 49%; 50-69 years 58%; < or =49 years: 81%). Multivariate analyses on a subset of patients showed that age was not an independent prognostic factor, whereas stage and treatment modality were very important prognostic factors. Although elderly cancer patients were sometimes treated differently from younger patients, this was in accordance with the guidelines. Relative survival rates differed significantly by age. The multivariate analyses on the subset of patients also revealed that excess mortality increased with age. However, when adjustment was made for stage and treatment, this difference disappeared. The influence of treatment on survival is likely to be due to the selection of patients based on other characteristics, such as tumour volume, comorbidity and performance status.

Prognostic factors related to cervical cancer survival in Mexican women

OBJECTIVE

To identify prognostic survival factors among Mexican women with cervical cancer.

METHODS

A total of 378 women with cervical cancer admitted from 1984 to 1996 to our referral hospital were evaluated, using survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards method). We designed a symptom index which included asymptomatic conditions, severity of symptoms and comorbidity.

RESULTS

Overall 5-year survival was 66.6%. The shortest survival time was for FIGO stage IV (21.5%, P<0.001) and adenosquamous histologic type (53.1%, P=0.15). The main prognostic factors were primary symptoms (RR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.02-6.66); systemic symptoms (RR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.23-9.01); FIGO stage IV (RR, 5.5; 95% CI, 2.36-12.96); and oncogenic symptoms (prognostic comorbidity present) (RR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.08-4.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that clinical stage and several types of symptoms influence CC survival. This present strategy to assess morphological and clinical characteristics may be a more accurate indicator of survival rate and potentially an efficient indicator of new therapeutic alternatives.

Subspecialty training: does it affect the outcome of women treated for a gynecologic malignancy?

A review of available direct and indirect scientific reports strongly suggests that subspecialty training increases the likelihood that the appropriate surgical procedure will be completed in women operated on for gynecologic cancer. It is likely that specialty care lessens the costs associated with diagnosis, treatment and surveillance, and frequently improves survival.

Comparison of clinical outcome in black and white women treated with radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the significance of race on the cancer-specific survival outcome of women treated with radiotherapy for advanced-stage cancer of the uterine cervix.

METHODS

Data from 922 women with cancer of the uterine cervix treated with radiotherapy were reviewed. Patients were treated at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology from 1959 through 1993. There were 576 women with clinical Stage II cancer and 346 women with clinical Stage III cancer. All women were treated following standard medical care treatment policies according to the stage of their disease. Data were analyzed by race and known treatment-related prognostic factors. Overall and cancer-specific survivals were evaluated.

RESULTS

The 5-year cancer-specific survivals for clinical Stage II were 66 and 61% (P = 0.56) for white and black women, respectively. The corresponding 5-year overall survivals were 60 and 51% (P = 0.02). The 5-year cancer-specific survivals for clinical Stage III were 38 and 47% (P = 0.34) for white and black women, respectively. The associated 5-year overall survivals were 32 and 40% (P = 0.37). No differences in treatment-related factors were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

In a cancer treatment system where black and white women with clinical Stage II and III cancer of the uterine cervix are all treated with radiotherapy alone, following standard treatment policies, no significant difference in cancer-specific survival outcome is shown. Multivariate analysis revealed that clinical stage and overall treatment time are significant variables affecting the control of tumor by radiotherapy. Overall survivals for the two racial groups are different and may be related to other non-cancer-related factors.

Development of dendritic-cell based prostate cancer vaccine

Available treatments for metastatic prostate cancer have failed to demonstrate significant curative potential. Current efforts are now directed towards developments of novel strategies for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Cancer immunotherapeutic strategies utilize patient immune system components to kill cancer cells. This review discusses progress in active specific immunotherapeutic approaches as potential alternative methods in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. One of the newest advances in cancer immunotherapy is the use of dendritic cells as the vehicle to deliver cancer antigens for an effective in vivo T cell activation. The development of dendritic cell-based prostate cancer vaccine, as well as results of several clinical trials in prostate cancer involving the administration of peptide-pulsed autologous dendritic cell pulsed are discussed.

Cervical cancer practice patterns and appropriateness of therapy

OBJECTIVE

This study was undertaken (1) to describe practice patterns for treatment of cervical cancer on a national scale, including patient characteristics associated with receiving appropriate versus inappropriate therapy, and (2) to determine whether mortality rate differences exist between patients who were treated appropriately and those who were treated inappropriately.

STUDY DESIGN

We defined treatment appropriateness in cases of cervical cancer according to general recommendations for therapy for each International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage. In an analysis of data obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program for 1988 through 1994 we determined the associations of patient demographic characteristics and tumor characteristics with treatment appropriateness. The association between treatment appropriateness and overall mortality for as long as 7 years of follow-up was adjusted for age; marital status; Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program location; International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage of disease; lymph node status; tumor grade; and histologic classification.

RESULTS

Overall 90% of all patients were found to have received appropriate therapy. Important variables significantly associated with being treated inappropriately versus appropriately included age <40 years, positive nodal status, and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB disease. Important variables significantly associated with receiving no therapy versus receiving appropriate therapy were age >/=60 years, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IV disease, positive nodal status, and unknown nodal status. In a comprehensive model that included demographic factors and tumor characteristics, the adjusted hazard ratio for mortality among patients who were treated inappropriately versus appropriately was 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.70-1.09). The adjusted hazard ratio for mortality among patients who did not receive therapy versus those who were treated appropriately was 2.92 (95% confidence interval, 2.44-3.48).

CONCLUSIONS

In an analysis of data from a tumor registry, cervical cancer practice patterns were generally found to follow accepted treatment guidelines. Appropriateness of therapy did not vary widely according to demographic variables. Although patients who received no therapy had an elevated risk of death with respect to that of patients who were treated appropriately, patients who were treated inappropriately had a mortality rate similar to that among those who were treated appropriately (perhaps because of limitations in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program data). Results of this preliminary study suggest a need for further research on effectiveness of cervical cancer therapies in the general population.

Phase I study with weekly cisplatin-paclitaxel and concurrent radiotherapy in patients with carcinoma of the cervix uteri

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin and paclitaxel are active in cervical cancer and both are able to potentiate the effects of radiotherapy. In this study we evaluated the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of paclitaxel in combination with a fixed dose of cisplatin when given weekly concurrently with pelvic radiotherapy to patients with carcinoma of the cervix uteri.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eighteen patients with cervical cancer were enrolled in this study. Cisplatin (30 mg/m2) and paclitaxel (starting dose 40 mg/m2; 5 mg/m2 escalation per level) were given on day 1 of radiotherapy and then weekly for six times. Radiotherapy was given to the pelvis with a four-field box technique for five days each week. Patients received 65 Gy in 1.8 Gy fractions. Cohorts of three patients were enrolled at each level and three further patients were included if one or two dose-limiting severe adverse events (SAE) were recorded. SAE was defined as grade 3 or 4 nonhematologic toxicity, excluding nausea or vomiting and alopecia, grade 4 neutropenia or thrombocytopenia, and prolonged (> 1 week) neutropenia or thrombocytopenia.

RESULTS

Four levels were studied (paclitaxel 40, 45, 50, 55 mg/m2) with three, five, four and six patients enrolled, respectively. The MTD of paclitaxel was found at 50 mg/m2/wk and cisplatin 30 mg/m2/wk. Diarrhea was the dose-limiting toxicity. Thirteen patients were evaluable for response: seven complete and five partial responses were obtained with an overall response rate of 92.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

The MTD of paclitaxel is 50 mg/m2/wk when associated to cisplatin 30 mg/m2/wk and concurrent pelvic radiotherapy. Diarrhea is the dose limiting side effect. Preliminary data suggest that concurrent chemoradiotherapy with paclitaxel and cisplatin could be a very active treatment for patients with locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix.

Quality of life in long-term survivors of cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life within a sample of cervical cancer survivors.

STUDY DESIGN

In this study, 46 cervical cancer survivors at clinical stage I or II and one survivor at stage 0, were evaluated. Two control groups were selected from an ongoing cohort study, in which 527 women were postmenopausal and 344 women were postmenopausal with HRT. All controls and cancer survivors completed a self-evaluating questionnaire pertaining to personal conditions, medical surveillance, individual well-being and quality of life.

RESULTS

Eighteen cervical cancer survivors were ovaries preserved. A total of 28 survivors, who had an oophorectomy, were compared with the controls. Most of the cancer survivors had a good socio-economic background and an active lifestyle. Forty-two percent were currently under medical surveillance and used medication regularly. The ratio of HRT users was higher in the oophorectomy group (36% in both short- and long-term therapy). With regard to the quality of life, there were no remarkable differences between oophorectomy survivors and controls. Except that the psychological condition in the ovaries preserved group was worse, the rest of the findings concerning the quality of life derived from the ovaries preserved group were rather close to that of the oophorectomy group.

CONCLUSION

The quality of life in long-term cervical cancer survivors is generally satisfactory. The positive results may be due to the higher ratio of HRT use, ovarian preservation, good education, working conditions, as well as an active lifestyle.

Influence of histologic type and age on survival rates for invasive cervical carcinoma in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess survival rates and to evaluate histologic type and age as prognostic factors for cervical carcinoma in an ethnically homogenous population in Taiwan.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted of 3678 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma that were diagnosed and treated for invasive cervical carcinoma between 1977 and 1994. Observed survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic factors were assessed using Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis.

RESULTS

Correlating both FIGO stage and age with histologic type revealed a higher proportion of cases with adenocarcinoma in the lower FIGO stages (P = 0.0417). Further, we found that the younger the age group the higher the proportion of cases of cervical adenocarcinoma (P = 0.0006). The 5-year survival rate was lower for patients with adenocarcinoma than for patients with squamous cell carcinoma (66.5 vs 74.0%, P = 0.0009). The 5-year survival rates for FIGO stages I, II, III, and IV squamous cell carcinoma were 81.3, 75.2, 42.7, and 26.1%, respectively, while for adenocarcinoma they were 75.9, 62.9, 29.2, and 0%, respectively. The difference in survival rates between squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma was found mainly in stage I (P = 0.0039) and stage II (P = 0.0103), where radiotherapy was used as the primary treatment. Age also affected the overall Kaplan-Meier estimate of survival. The younger the age group, the better the survival rate (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis confirmed a highly significant association between survival rate and both histologic type (P < 0.0001) and age (P = 0.0037).

CONCLUSIONS

Early stage cervical cancer (stages I and II) with a glandular component had a lower 5-year survival rate than squamous cell carcinoma in cases where radiotherapy was the primary treatment. We speculate that this difference in survival rates between cervical adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma was due to the relative ineffectiveness of radiotherapy as a primary treatment in cases of adenocarcinoma.

Clinical practice guidelines in the management of gynecologic malignancies

The need for guidelines in managing gynecologic cancer is addressed in the first part of this article. Second, the guideline development process that enables the practitioner to judge the validity and usefulness of proffered guidelines is detailed. An important element in this discussion is an exploration of the shortcomings, either real or perceived, of the process. The last section focuses on issues relating to the implementation of guidelines and some of the obstacles that one may encounter as the programs evolve.

Concomitant irradiation and dose-escalating carboplatin for locally advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix: an updated report

The combination of radiotherapy and carboplatin is associated with high response rates among women who have cervical cancer. To improve control rates for patients who have locally advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix, oncologists have explored combinations of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Carboplatin is an analogue of cisplatin, with similar efficacy against cervix cancer and a toxicity profile that is theoretically appealing for this group of patients because it is not nephrotoxic. Fifteen women with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages IB2 through IIIB or recurrent carcinoma of the cervix were treated with megavoltage irradiation and weekly intravenous carboplatin (7 women, 60 mg/m2; 8 women, 90 mg/m2). Response was documented among all patients treated at 60 mg/m2 (three complete responses, four partial responses) and in 6 women treated with 90 mg/m2 (four complete responses, two partial responses). The two nonresponders in the series presented with recurrent glassy cell carcinoma of the cervix. All patients completed the planned course of therapy without the need for treatment interruption. At 60 mg/m2, one dose of carboplatin was withheld because of grade 2 thrombocytopenia. At 90 mg/m2, one case of grade 2 leukopenia was documented. The leukocyte counts remained within normal limits for all 3 patients who were irradiated through extended portals that encompassed the paraaortic nodes (2 women, 60 mg/m2; 1 woman, 90 mg/m2). To date, 2 of 7 patients treated at the lower dose level have died of disease (one local progression and distant failure at 11 months, one distant failure alone at 6 months). The remaining patients treated at 60 mg/m2 are alive at a median of 24 months (range, 21-37 months). Among those treated at the higher dose level, 1 patient is alive with local and distant failure at 14 months, and 1 woman succumbed to local and distant disease at 4 months. The remainder are alive at a median follow-up of 6 months (range, 2-10 months). The regimen was unsuccessful in salvaging women with recurrent glassy cell carcinoma. We conclude that the combination of radiotherapy and carboplatin can be safely delivered at both of the chemotherapy schedules studied. The regimen should not be offered to women who have recurrent glassy cell tumors. To prove the efficacy of this approach, phase III testing should be considered that compares the combination of agents to irradiation alone.

Trends in the use of radiation and chemotherapy in the initial management of patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix

PURPOSE

The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons conducts Patient Care Evaluation studies to describe practice patterns and trends in disease management. This report surveys changing strategies in the initial treatment of patients with invasive cancer of the uterine cervix.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Using a standard data collection form designed by a multidisciplinary committee of specialists, cancer registrars at 703 hospitals submitted anonymous data on 11,721 total cervical cancer patients diagnosed in 1984 and 1990.

RESULTS

Between the two study years, the use of radiation as all, or a component, of the initial course of therapy declined from 70 to 60.3%, coincident with a 32.3% increase in the use of hysterectomy alone and a 33.7% reduction in the use of radiation alone. The percentage of all patients receiving combined hysterectomy and radiation (preoperative or postoperative) remained virtually unchanged--10.2% in 1984, and 9.3% in 1990. However, women who were treated by hysterectomy in 1990 were less likely to receive radiation as part of their treatment than patients treated by hysterectomy in 1984. Among patients treated by radiation without hysterectomy, the use of intracavitary brachytherapy techniques substantially exceeded interstitial brachytherapy techniques in both study years. Among patients treated by local radiation without hysterectomy, the frequency of adjunctive chemotherapy use increased from 6.9% in 1984 to 24.8% in 1990, with chemotherapy and radiation increasingly administered concurrently rather than sequentially. Although differences based on age, histology, race/ethnicity, and insurance status were observed, these general management trends were seen in all groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in the utilization of radiation and surgery may reflect the increasing surgical involvement of gynecologic oncologists in the management of early stage cervical cancer, rather than significant alterations in the demographics of the disease. Although brachytherapy is recognized as an important component of radiation treatment, some patients may not receive the potential benefit of this modality. Despite controversy concerning its efficacy, the use of adjuvant systemic chemotherapy to supplement local treatment modalities appears to be increasing rapidly.

The growth and maturation of the National Cancer Data Base

BACKGROUND

The National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint project of the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society, is a cancer management and outcomes data base for health care organizations. It provides a comparative summary of patient care that is used by communities and participating hospitals for self-assessment. The most current (1994) data are described here.

METHODS

Six calls for data have yielded a total of 4,580,000 cases for the years 1985-1994. A total of 1735 hospital cancer registries have each participated in at least one of the calls for data.

RESULTS

Summing the last year's report from each of the 1227 hospitals that participated in 1994, the cases represent the equivalent of 57% of the estimated 1994 U.S. cancer cases. These data were received from all six regions of the country, including all 50 states. Ninety-seven percent of patients received all or part of their treatment at the reporting hospital. The four most common cancers are carcinomas of the breast (15.7%), lung (14.3%), prostate (13.1%), and colon (7.7%), and collectively they comprise a majority of new cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The NCDB is a cancer management and outcomes data base for health care organizations that currently provides data on 57% of the estimated new cases in the U.S. Past data have been used extensively to assess patterns of care and outcomes.

Extended field radiation and cisplatin for stage IIB and IIIB cervical carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate local regional control, survival, and morbidity in patients with FIGO IIB and IIIB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix treated with primary extended field (prophylactic paraaoratic radiation) radiation and weekly cisplatin.

METHODS

Sixty-seven patients (44 IIB and 23 IIIB) with carcinoma of the cervix received cisplatin at 1 mg/kg (up to 60 mg) weekly and extended field radiation therapy including the paraaortic nodes and brachytherapy.

RESULTS

After the scheduled therapy 94.1% of the patients were complete responders. Seventy-five percent are alive without evidence of disease with a mean follow-up of 47.5 months.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms the ability to give concomitant weekly cisplatin and prophylactic paraaortic radiation with minimal morbidity. The encouraging Kaplan-Meier survival of 75% and only eight pelvic failures warrants further investigation.