Article Text
Abstract
Objective This retrospective, multicenter study analyzes the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy in a large cohort of patients with oligometastatic/persistent/recurrent cervical cancer.
Methods A standardized data collection from several radiotherapy centers that treated patients by stereotactic body radiotherapy between March 2006 and February 2021 was set up. Clinical and stereotactic body radiotherapy parameters were collected. Objective response rate was defined as a composite of complete and partial response, while clinical benefit included objective response rate plus stable disease. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events scales were used to grade toxicities. The primary endpoints were the rate of complete response to stereotactic body radiotherapy, and the 2 year actuarial local control rate on a ‘per lesion’ basis. The secondary end points were progression-free survival and overall survival, as well as toxicity.
Results A total of 83 patients with oligometastatic/persistent/recurrent cervical cancer bearing 125 lesions treated by stereotactic body radiotherapy at 15 different centers were selected for analysis. Of the sites of metastatic disease, lymph node metastases were most common (55.2%), followed by parenchyma lesions (44.8%). Median total dose was 35 Gy (range 10–60), in five fractions (range 1–10), with a median dose/fraction of 7 Gy (range 4–26). Complete, partial, and stable response were found in 73 (58.4%), 29 (23.2%), and 16 (12.8%) lesions, respectively, reaching 94.4% of the clinical benefit rate. Forty-six (55.4%) patients had a complete response. Patients achieving complete response on a ‘per lesion’ basis experienced a 2 year actuarial local control rate of 89.0% versus 22.1% in lesions not achieving complete response (p<0.001). The 2 year actuarial progression-free survival rate was 42.5% in patients with complete response versus 7.8% in patients with partial response or stable or progressive disease (p=0.001). The 2 year actuarial overall survival rate was 68.9% in patients with complete response versus 44.3% in patients with partial response or stable or progressive disease (p=0.015). Fifteen patients (18.1%) had mild acute toxicity, totaling 29 side events. Late toxicity was documented in four patients (4.8%) totaling seven adverse events.
Conclusion Our analysis confirmed the efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy in oligometastatic/persistent/recurrent cervical cancer patients. The low toxicity profile encourages the wider use of stereotactic body radiotherapy in this setting.
- radiation oncology
- radiotherapy dosage
- cervical cancer
Data availability statement
Data are available upon reasonable request. Research data are stored in an institutional repository and will be shared upon request to the corresponding author.
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Data availability statement
Data are available upon reasonable request. Research data are stored in an institutional repository and will be shared upon request to the corresponding author.
Footnotes
Contributors Contributors: GM and GF conceptualized the study and wrote the study protocol together with FD, AN, MC, RA, MAG, CL, GRD, EI, LD, AF, PCG, MF, VB, LV, AR, VDC, EP, SB and GS. GM and GF are the main authors of the manuscript. SC and GF conducted the statistical analyses. All authors participated actively in conducting the study, evaluating the analyses, and critically revised the manuscript, approved the final version, and are accountable for all aspects of the work. GM is the author responsible for the overall content as the guarantor.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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