Extended field intensity-modulated radiotherapy plus concurrent nedaplatin treatment in cervical cancer

Establishment of a prediction model for severe acute radiation enteritis associated with cervical cancer radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignant tumors. Radiation enteritis (RE) leads to radiotherapy intolerance or termination of radiotherapy, which negatively impacts the therapeutic effect and seriously affects the quality of life of patients. If the incidence of RE in patients can be predicted in advance, and targeted clinical preventive treatment can be carried out, the side effects of radiotherapy in cervical cancer patients can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, accurate prediction of RE is essential for the selection of individualized radiation dose and the optimization of the radiotherapy plan.

AIM

To analyze the relationships between severe acute RE (SARE) of cervical cancer radiotherapy and clinical factors and dose-volume parameters retrospectively.

METHODS

We included 50 cervical cancer patients who received volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) from September 2017 to June 2018 in the Department of Radiotherapy at The First Affiliated Hospital Soochow University. Clinical and dose-volume histogram factors of patients were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of each factor for SARE. A nomogram to predict SARE was developed (SARE scoring system ≥ 3 points) based on the multiple regression coefficients; validity was verified by an internal verification method.

RESULTS

Gastrointestinal and hematological toxicity of cervical cancer VMAT gradually increased with radiotherapy and reached the peak at the end of radiotherapy. The main adverse reactions were diarrhea, abdominal pain, colitis, anal swelling, and blood in the stool. There was no significant difference in the incidence of gastrointestinal toxicity between the radical and postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy groups (P > 0.05). There were significant differences in the small intestine V₂₀, V₃₀, V₄₀, and rectal V₄₀ between adjuvant radiotherapy and radical radiotherapy after surgery (P < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed anal bulge rating (OR: 14.779, 95%CI: 1.281-170.547, P = 0.031) and disease activity index (DAI) score (OR: 53.928, 95%CI: 3.822-760.948, P = 0.003) as independent predictors of SARE.

CONCLUSION

Anal bulge rating (> 0.500 grade) and DAI score (> 2.165 points) can predict SARE. The nomogram shows potential value in clinical practice.

Effect of bladder filling status on positioning errors in post-hysterectomy cervical cancer radiotherapy

Objective: To investigate the effect of different bladder filling states on positioning errors in radiotherapy for cervical cancer and obtain the reference range of bladder filling consistency during radiotherapy.Methods: Patients who underwent postoperative radiotherapy for cervical cancer in Nantong Tumor Hospital from October 2018 to December 2019 were selected. According to the bladder filling deviation, they were divided into group A1 (deviation < 20%) and group B1 (deviation ≥ 20%). The bladder filling variations of the two groups were compared with different positioning errors. Group A2 has a positioning error of <0.4 cm, and group B2 has a positioning error of ≥0.4 cm. The reference range of bladder filling consistency during radiotherapy is obtained by analyzing the composition ratio of different positioning errors of bladder filling deviation.Results: This study included 195 patients with cervical cancer. The error of longitudinal and vertical position in group B1 was significantly higher than that in group A1 (0.50 ± 0.34 vs. 0.26 ± 0.22 cm, p < 0.001, and 0.22 ± 0.17 vs. 0.16 ± 0.12 cm, p < 0.001). Compared with group B2, the absolute deviation of bladder filling in group A2 (54.1% ± 54.4% vs. 25.6% ± 22.7%, p < 0.001) was slight. The chi-square test showed significant differences in the proportion of the positioning state of different bladder filling forms (χ2 = 31.006, p < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant difference in the proportion of stability errors in patients with poor stability in different directions (χ2 = 118.551, p < 0.001).Conclusion: In patients with cervical cancer fixed in the supine position, a bladder capacity deviation <20% is easier to achieve excellent positioning with, and it can better control the positioning error of radiotherapy and ensure the positioning accuracy of dose distribution to the target area. It can also achieve good tumor treatment effects. This range can be used as a reference for bladder filling consistency in patients with cervical cancer undergoing radiotherapy.

Validation and applicability of para-aortic lymph nodal contouring atlas in cervical cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

CTV delineation guidelines for the para-aortic nodal region for patients with cervical cancer have been proposed (Keenan et al., 2018). The purpose of this study was to validate these guidelines with the use of CT datasets of cervical cancer patients with macroscopic PALN treated with definitive (chemo)radiation (CTRT) at our center.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Planning CT datasets of 71 cervical cancer patients with gross PA nodal disease treated with EFRT were used. Two hundred and two PALN were identified based on size and morphology on diagnostic CECT, PET CT, or histologically proven PALN. LN regions were divided into upper, middle, and lower and based on their relation to the aorta and IVC. Macroscopic PALN were contoured, and the CTV for PALN irradiation was generated based on the proposed guidelines on ECLIPSE (Version 13.5). The centre of mass (COM_N) was calculated for each gross PALN. The evaluation was done to review the presence of COM_N in relation to the CTV PALN.

RESULTS

The most common location of PALN was Left para-aortic (105 LN-52%), Aortocaval (55 LN-27.2%), and Precaval (14 LN-6.9%). Lower PALN were the commonest (104 LN-51.5%). Ninety-three were middle PALN (46%), and 5 were upper PALN (2.5%). After excluding upper PALN, COM_N for 11 PALN (5.5%) were outside the CTV while 20 were junctional.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that more than 95% of PALN in this patient cohort were covered using these guidelines with the addition of an extra 5 mm margin laterally on the left.

Mapping patterns of para-aortic lymph node recurrence in cervical cancer: a retrospective cohort analysis

BACKGROUND

To map anatomic patterns of para-aortic lymph node (PALN) recurrence in cervical cancer patients and validate currently available guidelines on PA clinical target volumes (CTV).

METHODS

Cervical cancer patients who developed PALN recurrence were included. The PALNs were classified as left-lateral para-aortic (LPA), aorto-caval (AC), and right para-caval (RPC). Four PA CTVs were contoured for each patient to validate PALN coverage. CTV_RTOG was contoured based on the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group guideline. CTV_K was contoured as proposed by Keenan et al. CTV_M was contoured by expanding symmetrical margins around the aorta and inferior vena cava of 7 mm up to the T12-L1 interspace. CTV_new was created by modifying CTV_RTOG to obtain better coverage.

RESULTS

We identified 92 PALNs in 35 cervical cancer patients. 46.8% of the PALNs were at LPA, 38.0% were at AC, and 15.2% were at RPC areas. CTV_RTOG, CTV_K, and CTV_M covered 87.0%, 88.0%, and 62.0% of all PALNs, respectively. PALN recurrence above the left renal vein was associated with PALN involvement at diagnosis (p = 0.043). Extending upper border to the superior mesenteric artery allowed the CTV_new to cover 96.7% of all PALNs and all nodes in 91.4% of patients.

CONCLUSION

CTV_RTOG and CTV_K encompassed most PALN recurrences. For high-risk patients, such as those having PALN involvement at diagnosis, extending the superior border of CTV from the left renal vein to superior mesenteric artery could be considered.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with Endostar in patients with pelvic locoregional recurrence of cervical cancer: Results from a hospital in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The treatment of recurrent cervical cancer, especially pelvic locoregional recurrence, is very challenging for gynecologic oncologists. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with Endostar, a novel modified recombinant human endostatin, in patients with pelvic locoregional recurrence of cervical cancer following surgical treatment.This phase 2 study was conducted between May 2018 and May 2019 at a single center in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and enrolled 31 patients with pelvic locoregional recurrence of cervical cancer following surgical treatment. All patients were treated with IMRT-based CCRT for 6 weeks and intravenous infusions of Endostar (15 mg/m), which were administered on days 1 to 7 of CCRT, followed by rest for 4 weeks. After resting, chemotherapy with cisplatin (70 mg/m) plus paclitaxel (135-175 mg/m) was given every 3 weeks for a total of 4 treatments.Thirty-one patients were evaluable for the primary endpoint. The mean age was 50.03 years (SD 7.72). The objective response rate was 67.74% and the disease control rate was 83.87% (48.39% achieved a complete response, 19.35% a partial response, 16.13% had disease stabilization, and 16.13% had progressive disease). The most common adverse events were nausea, vomiting, alopecia, neutropenia, and leukopenia; most events were grade 1 or 2 in intensity. Grade 3 toxicities included thrombocytopenia and neutropenia in 2 patients each, and leukopenia in 4 patients. No cases of grade 4 acute toxicity were observed.IMRT-based CCRT with Endostar infusions is effective and safe. Our results support the use of this treatment for patients with pelvic locoregional recurrence of cervical cancer following surgical treatment.

Downregulation of TMOD1 promotes cell motility and cell proliferation in cervical cancer cells

Tropomodulin-1 (TMOD1) is a key regulator of actin dynamics, which caps the pointed end of actin filaments. TMOD1 has been reported to be involved in several cellular processes, including neurite outgrowth, spine formation and cell migration. Increasing evidence demonstrates that TMOD1 is implicated in several aspects of cancer development. The present study aimed to investigate the role of TMOD1 in cervical cancer. HeLa and CaSki cell lines, derived from human cervical cancer, were used to evaluate the function of TMOD1. Cell motility was measured via a wound-healing assay, with the TMOD1 short hairpin (sh)RNAs transfected cells. Subsequently, cell proliferation was assessed using low serum cell culture condition, while cell cycle distribution was analyzed via flow cytometry. The results demonstrated that downregulated TMOD1 promoted cell motility and proliferation, which is attributed to promotion of G₁/S phase transition in HeLa and CaSki cells. Furthermore, it was indicated that co-expression of shRNA resistant TMOD1 rescued these phenomena. The clinical data demonstrated that high TMOD1 expression is associated with good pathological status in patients with cervical cancer. Overall, the results of the present study indicated that TMOD1 may act as a tumor suppressor in cervical cancer, whereby its downregulated expression was demonstrated to have direct effects on cell motility and cell proliferation. These results provide new evidence for the prognostic prediction of cervical cancer, which may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with cervical cancer.

Early toxicity and treatment outcomes of extended field-intensity modulated radiotherapy for cervical cancer patients with para-aortic nodal metastasis

Objective

Extended-field radiotherapy (EFRT) with concurrent chemotherapy represents standard treatment in cervical cancer patients with para-aortic lymph nodal (PALN) metastasis. While EFRT with Intensity Modulated RT (IMRT) has been demonstrated to reduce toxicities, the dose thresholds for minimizing acute toxicity is not clear. The present study was undertaken to report the early toxicity with extended-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy (EF-IMRT) for carcinoma of the cervix in our cohort of patients and determine dose-volume parameters that predict ≥grade II haematological toxicity and diarrhoea.

Methodology

This was a retrospective study of consecutive cervical cancer patients with PALN metastasis treated with EF-IMRT. Patients received rotational IMRT +/- neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and/or concurrent chemotherapy (45–50 Gy/25#/5 weeks) followed by high-dose rate brachytherapy. Acute haematological and gastrointestinal toxicity (diarrhoea and vomiting) was correlated with doses received by bowel and marrow. Receiver operator characteristics curves were used for deriving thresholds that predict for increased toxicity and tested on univariate and multivariate analysis. Finally, disease free and overall survival (DFS and OS) was calculated.

Results

A total of 43 patients were included. One-fourth of the patients (11/43) received NACT and 88% received concurrent chemotherapy. Within the upfront EF-IMRT cohort, 22.6% and 9.7% patients developed grade ≥III haematological (HT) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity respectively, with an increase in HT (≥ grade III HT =67%) in patients receiving NACT (p = 0.007). In the entire cohort bone marrow Volume receiving 10 Gy (V10>) 90% correlated with an increase in ≥ grade III HT (p = 0.05). No dose volume thresholds could be validated for GI toxicity. The OS and DFS at 2 years was 56% and 54%, respectively.

Conclusion

EF-IMRT is a feasible option for cervical cancer patients with PALN involvement and is associated with acceptable grade III toxicity. Future studies need to focus on minimizing HT toxicity.

Efficacy and Toxicity of IMRT-Based Simultaneous Integrated Boost for the Definitive Management of Positive Lymph Nodes in Patients with Cervical Cancer

Background: The optimal radiotherapy regimen for treating metastatic lymphadenopathy in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes, as well as associated toxicities, of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) for pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes (LNs).

Methods: Between 2011 and 2015, 74 patients with 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIB-IVB cervical cancer exhibiting pelvic or para-aortic LN involvement were examined. The pelvic field planning dose was 45-50 Gy in 25 fractions, and an SIB of 62.5 Gy in 25 fractions was delivered to positive LNs. Next, CT-guided brachytherapy was performed 24 Gy in 3 fractions to 42 Gy in 6 fractions once or twice weekly.

Results: The median follow-up duration was 36 (range: 3-62) months. The 3-year local control, distant metastasis-free survival, and overall survival rates were 91.7%, 75.7%, and 71.4%, respectively. No residual or recurrent LNs were detected. Six patients developed grade 3 acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. Twenty-nine (39.2%) and 3 (4.1%) patients developed grade 3 and 4 hematological toxicities, respectively. Twenty patients (28.5%) developed grade ≥2 chronic GI toxicity. Only 1 patient (1.4%) experienced a grade 4 rectovaginal fistula, and 3 patients (4.2%) developed grade 2 genitourinary toxicities. SIB to the LNs did not influence acute or chronic toxicity rates.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that a dose of 62.5 Gy to positive LNs using the IMRT with SIB method can achieve excellent clinical outcomes with acceptable toxicity.

An atlas to aid delineation of para-aortic lymph node region in cervical cancer: Design and validation of contouring guidelines

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies have investigated the anatomical distribution of para-aortic lymph nodes (PAN) in patients with cervical cancer. However, an atlas for accurate clinical target volume (CTV) delineation has yet to be defined. The purpose of this study was to design and verify a computerized tomography (CT) atlas to provide guidance for contouring the PAN CTV in patients with cervical cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective study included 21 cervical cancer patients (design cohort) with 39 pathological PAN identified on (18)F-FDG PET-CT. PAN [left lateral para-aortic (LLPA), aorto-caval (AC), right para-caval (RPC) nodes] were delineated on CT simulation scans. Measurements were taken from the volumetric centre of the nodes to the edge of aorta and inferior vena-cava (IVC). Initially the aorta and IVC were expanded by the mean distance to the lymph node centre to create a CTV. Expansion margins were then increased asymmetrically until the CTV resulted in a clinically acceptable number of PAN included. The CTV was validated on a further 10 patients (validation cohort) with 29 PAN. A detailed contouring guide and accompanying visual atlas for elective PAN CTV delineation was created based on the validated margins.

RESULTS

For the design cohort (n = 21 patients, 39 PAN), the mean distance from the centre of the node to the aorta was 8 mm (range 4-17) for both LLPA (range 4-17) and AC (range 4-15) regions. Mean distance from the IVC to the centre of the nodes was 5 mm (range 4-6) in the RPC region and 6 mm (range 3-15) in the AC region. No PAN was superior to the T12-L1 interspace or the left renal vein or inferior to the L5-S1 interspace. For validation cohort (n = 10 patients, 29 PAN), mean distance from centre of the node to the aorta was 9 mm (range 5-15) in the LLPA region, 7 mm (range 6.5-14) in the AC region. Mean distance from the ICV to the centre of the nodes was 3 mm (range 2.5-4) in the RPC region and 5 mm (range 3-10) in the AC region. A CTV expansion from the aorta of 10 mm circumferentially and 15 mm laterally, and from the IVC of 8 mm anteromedially and 6 mm posterolaterally resulted in coverage of 97% (38/39) of PAN in the design cohort. On prospective validation, the described CTV included 97% (28/29) of PAN in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSION

We propose the following PAN CTV; expansion from aorta of 10 mm circumferentially except 15 mm laterally, expansion from the IVC of 8 mm anteromedial and 6 mm posterolaterally. The suggested CTV includes 97% (28/29) PAN in a validated patient cohort. A detailed guide and accompanying visual atlas is provided to aid delineation of the PAN CTV in patients with cervical cancer.

Evaluating the use of external beam radiation alone in the management of cervix cancer

Aim

To determine the outcome of patients with locally advanced cervix cancer treated with curative intent using external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), without brachytherapy.

Materials and methods

A chart review was performed of all patients with cervix cancer who received EBRT alone at our centre from 2000 to 2010. Overall survival and local control were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier survival curves.

Results

In total, 22 patients were identified. The median age and follow-up were 56 years and 65 months, respectively. The stage included IB to IVB. Main histology was squamous cell carcinoma (82%). Median tumour size was 5·5 cm. Majority treated with 3D conformal techniques and nine patients (41%) were treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT); 14 patients received doses of ≥65 Gy. Most patients (73%) received weekly concurrent cis-platinum. The major reason for not receiving brachytherapy was locally extensive tumour (59%). The 5-year relapse-free survival and overall survival rates were 57 and 50%, respectively. Seven patients (32%) had a component of loco-regional failure, mainly within the cervix. There was a better outcome among the nine patients treated with IMRT to a median dose of 66 Gy with a loco-regional control of 78%.

Conclusions

Patients who cannot have brachytherapy may still achieve acceptable rates of loco-regional disease control if high radiation doses (>65 Gy) was delivered.