The American Brachytherapy Society recommendations for high-dose-rate brachytherapy for carcinoma of the cervix

PURPOSE

This report presents guidelines for using high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in the management of patients with cervical cancer, taking into consideration the current availability of resources in most institutions.

METHODS

Members of the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) with expertise in HDR brachytherapy for cervical cancer performed a literature review, supplemented their clinical experience to formulate guidelines for HDR brachytherapy of cervical cancer.

RESULTS

The ABS strongly recommends that definitive irradiation for cervical carcinoma must include brachytherapy as a component. Each institution should follow a consistent treatment policy when performing HDR brachytherapy, including complete documentation of treatment parameters and correlation with clinical outcome, such as pelvic control, survival, and complications. The goals are to treat Point A to at least a total low-dose-rate (LDR) equivalent of 80-85 Gy for early stage disease and 85-90 Gy for advanced stage. The pelvic sidewall dose recommendations are 50-55 Gy for early lesions and 55-65 Gy for advanced ones. The relative doses given by external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) vs. brachytherapy depend upon the initial volume of disease, the ability to displace the bladder and rectum, the degree of tumor regression during pelvic irradiation, and institutional preference. As with LDR brachytherapy, every attempt should be made to keep the bladder and rectal doses below 80 Gy and 75 Gy LDR equivalent doses, respectively. Interstitial brachytherapy should be considered for patients with disease that cannot be optimally encompassed by intracavitary brachytherapy. While recognizing that many efficacious HDR fractionation schedules exist, some suggested dose and fractionation schemes for combining the EBRT with HDR brachytherapy for each stage of disease are presented. These recommendations are intended only as guidelines, and the suggested fractionation schemes have not been thoroughly tested. The responsibility for the medical decisions ultimately rests with the treating radiation oncologist.

CONCLUSION

Guidelines are established for HDR brachytherapy for cervical cancer. Practitioners and cooperative groups are encouraged to use these guidelines to formulate their treatment and dose-reporting policies. These guidelines will be modified, as image-based treatment becomes more widely available.

A novel and rapid PCR-based method for genotyping human papillomaviruses in clinical samples

Many human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes are associated with cervical carcinoma. We demonstrate the utility of an innovative technique for genotyping of HPV in cervical tissue samples. This method provides an accurate means of identification of the specific HPV genotypes present in clinical specimens. By using the MY09-MY11 and the GP5(+)-GP6(+) consensus primer pairs, HPV sequences were amplified by nested PCR from DNA isolated from cervical smear samples. This led to the production of an approximately 140-bp PCR product from the L1 (major capsid) gene of any of the HPVs present in the sample. PCR was performed with a deoxynucleoside triphosphate mixture which resulted in the incorporation of deoxyuridine into the amplified DNA product at positions where deoxythymidine would normally be incorporated at a frequency of about once or twice per strand. Following the PCR, the product was treated with an enzyme mix that contains uracil N-glycosylase (UNG) and endonuclease IV. UNG removes the uracil base from the nucleotide, and endonuclease IV cleaves the phosphodiester bond at this newly formed abasic site, producing fragments of various sizes. By having end labeled one of the amplification primers, a DNA ladder which is analogous to a "T-sequencing ladder" was produced upon electrophoresis of the products. By comparing this T-sequencing ladder to the known sequences of HPVs, the genotypes of unknown HPV isolates in samples were assigned. Data showing the utility of this technique for the rapid analysis of clinical samples are presented.

Current developments in the treatment of newly diagnosed cervical cancer

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging of cervical cancer relies on physical examination. However, surgical staging, which helps determine the extent of invasion of lymph nodes by cancer, is currently used more widely to define the need for additional therapies. Examples of these additional treatments include high-dose-rate brachytherapy techniques, extension of radiotherapy fields, surgery, concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgery. Currently there are many ongoing randomized studies that strive to define the risk-to-benefit ratio of these additional therapies.

Magnetic resonance angiography: a three-dimensional database for assessing arteriovenous malformations. Technical note

Stereotactic angiography has long been the "gold standard" in the diagnosis of patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVM's). Although orthogonal or stereoshift images may suffice in discerning the shape and location of spherical malformations, an exact analysis and assessment of most nonspherical malformations are hampered by the fact that stereotactic angiographic images compress three-dimensional (3-D) data into two-dimensional views. As a consequence, the complex 3-D shape of an AVM can never be fully and truly discerned from conventional angiography. With the recent explosion of radiosurgical techniques, more and more AVM's are being treated noninvasively. These radiosurgical techniques require 3-D visualization to maximize nidus coverage and minimize normal brain irradiation. Alternatives to stereotactic angiography are therefore desperately needed. An entire new family of pulse sequences is now available that permits visualization of the vascular system using magnetic resonance imaging. A brief technical review of magnetic resonance angiography is presented, and its potential role(s) in the assessment and radiosurgical treatment of AVM's is explored.

Treatment of arteriovenous malformations with stereotactic radiosurgery employing both magnetic resonance angiography and standard angiography as a database

Twenty-one arteriovenous malformations were prospectively evaluated using magnetic resonance angiography and compared with stereotactic angiography. The goals were to establish the feasibility of magnetic resonance angiography, compare it to stereotactic angiography, employ magnetic resonance angiography in follow-up, and semiquantify flow. A correlative evaluation between flow and response to stereotactic radiosurgery was carried out. Phase contrast angiograms were obtained at flow velocities of 400, 200, 100, 60, and 20 cm/sec. The fractionated velocities provided images that selectively demonstrated the arterial and venous components of the arteriovenous malformations. Qualitative assessment of the velocity within the arteriovenous malformations and the presence of fistulae were also determined by multiple velocity images. In addition, 3-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiograms were obtained to define the exact size and shape of the nidus. This technique also permitted evaluation of the nidus and feeding arteries for the presence of low flow aneurysms. Correlation between the two imaging modalities was carried out by subjective and semiquantitative estimation of flow velocity and estimation of nidus size. The following velocity parameters were employed: fast, intermediate, slow, and none (arteriovenous malformation obliterated). In 19 of 21 (90.5%) arteriovenous malformations, magnetic resonance angiography was equal or superior to stereotactic angiography for flow quantification and visualization of the nidus. Only 2 of 21 arteriovenous malformations were better demonstrated by stereotactic angiography than by magnetic resonance angiography (failure rate of 9.5%). The nidus size in one case was clearly underestimated by stereotactic angiography and would have resulted in a geographic miss without magnetic resonance angiography. Seven post-radiosurgery arteriovenous malformations were evaluated for follow-up with both magnetic resonance angiography and stereotactic angiography. In 6 of 7 arteriovenous malformations, magnetic resonance angiography response matched stereotactic angiography response. Correlation of flow with outcome was carried out for 14 arteriovenous malformations using magnetic resonance angiography only. Interestingly, all nine arteriovenous malformations with intermediate or slow flow demonstrated partial or complete obliteration; whereas only 3 of 5 fast flow arteriovenous malformations achieved a response with a median follow-up of 10 months. This early analysis suggests that slower flowing arteriovenous malformations may obliterate faster after stereotactic radiosurgery and flow parameters could be employed to predict response. In conclusion, magnetic resonance angiography permits semiquantitative flow velocity assessment and may therefore be superior to stereotactic angiography. An additional advantage of magnetic resonance angiography is the generation of serial transverse images which can replace the conventional CT scan employed for stereotactic radiosurgery treatment planning.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Sequential comparison of low dose rate and hyperfractionated high dose rate endobronchial radiation for malignant airway occlusion

A pilot trial (S2) was conducted at the University of Wisconsin to determine the feasibility, efficacy, and toxicity of hyperfractionated high dose rate endobronchial radiation. To avoid multiple bronchoscopies, an optimized hyperfractionated schema was derived from the linear-quadratic model. Utilizing a single bronchoscopy, 31 patients with malignant airway occlusion received 4 Gy x 4 fractions over 2 days at 2 cm from source center using a high dose rate remote afterloader. Response and morbidity were compared to a previous trial (S1) in which 66 patients were treated with conventional low dose rate endobronchial radiation. Response was assessed by change in performance status, symptom resolution, percent of lifetime rendered symptom-free or improved, and radiographic reaeration. These parameters were highly comparable between the two groups. The mean ECOG performance status improved from 2.2 to 1.8 for S1 and 2.1 to 1.6 for S2; symptom improvement or resolution was noted in 78% for S1 and 79% for S2; lifetime rendered symptom-free or improved was 54% for S1 and 57% for S2; and the overall radiographic response rate was 78% for S1 and 85% for S2. The overall incidence of fistulae was 7/101. We conclude that endobronchial radiation is an effective and safe modality for palliation, and hyperfractionated high dose rate endobronchial radiation achieves responses similar to low dose rate endobronchial radiation with a similar complication rate.