Different types of hysterectomy in the radio-surgical treatment of early cervical cancer (FIGO Ib-IIa).

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: Surgery and radiotherapy achieved equivalent results for FIGO stages Ib-IIa invasive cervical carcinoma. The integration of radiotherapy and surgery provided the same results for a selected series of patients without increasing the rate of complications. The aim of the study was to verify if, applying a radio-surgical protocol, the reduction of the surgery extension on the parametrium in one of two consecutive series might achieve the same results in terms of survival and recurrence rates with fewer complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analysed actuarial survival (with >10-year follow-up), local control rates and morbidity of 390 patients who had different the kinds of surgery applied in the radio-surgical treatment protocol: Protocol A: brachytherapy plus type III radical hysterectomy vs Protocol B: brachytherapy plus type II radical hysterectomy. Patients were all included in an analysis of complications according to the French-Italian glossary. RESULTS: Analyses showed no differences in terms of survival, patterns of recurrences and onset time within the two protocols. Urinary complications were more frequent and severe in protocol A vs protocol B (G2: 26.5% vs. 6.1%; G3: 5.3% vs. 3.6%). CONCLUSION: Our study pointed out that the reduction of the surgery extension allowed the same overall survival and relapses with fewer complications particularly in terms of grade of severity.

Prospective multicenter study on urologic complications after radical surgery with or without radiotherapy in the treatment of stage IB-IIA cervical cancer.

A national collaborative group has conducted a multicenter prospective study on the use of a specific glossary for the complications associated with the treatment of cervical cancer, which were analytically described in 1989. This report analyzes the urologic complications with particular reference to radical surgery in stage IB-IIA cancer cases. In the prospective multicenter clinical study 2024 patients with frankly invasive cervical cancer were enrolled (IB = 1041; IIA = 308; IIB = 384; IIIA-B = 237; IV = 54). This report considers 1349 patients with stage IB-IIA disease. Treatment modalities in this group of patients were: type III radical surgery in 21.9%; type III radical surgery followed by radiotherapy in 20.8%; type III radical surgery preceded by radiotherapy in 7.3%; type II radical surgery in 3.1%; type II radical surgery followed by radiotherapy in 8.4%; type II radical surgery preceded by radiotherapy in 18.8%; surgery plus chemotherapy plus radiotherapy in 3.5%; radiotherapy alone in 16%. In this case series 873 complications were registered, and among these 341 (39.1%) were described in the urinary tract. Among 277 bladder complications 47.3% were grade 1; 47.3% grade 2, and 5.4% grade 3. Among 64 ureter complications 59.4% were grade 1; 17.2% grade 2, and 23.4% grade 3. Distribution of severe urinary complications was different according to site (bladder or ureter) and treatment modalities (radical surgery alone: bladder 1.3%, ureter 1.3%; radical surgery followed by radiotherapy: 1.4% bladder, 2.8% ureter; radical surgery preceded by radiotherapy: 3% bladder, 0% ureter). Different distributions of severe urinary complication were also observed in respect to stage (IB vs IIA); treatment: elective vs nonelective. In 673 patients treated with radical surgery plus or minus radiotherapy 123 relapses were registered (18.2%). Incidence of relapse was not different in patients suffering from mild/severe complications vs patients without complications. Disease-free survival, death from tumor, and death from other causes were not different in the group with complications in comparison to the group without complications.

[THe cost of radiotherapy. Piedmontese experience]. / Il costo della radioterapia. L'esperienza piemontese.

INTRODUCTION: An integrated task force of radiotherapists and administrators of the Piedmont region studied the estimated cost of radiotherapy (RT) to compare it with the figures in the 502/92 law modifying the financing of medical structures. This law changed the financing method from productive factors compensation to actually provided performances compensation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The RT departments of the Turin and Novara university hospitals, those of Ivrea and Asti and that of the Pinna Pintor Clinic (Turin) participated in the study, with 4889 examinations in the period of interest. The study consisted of 6 steps: 1) defining a nomenclator; 2) making a list of standard resources; 3) calculating the actual resource consumption; 4) relating 2) to 3); 5) calculating cost and times; 6) defining quality standards. A technical and/or a central group(s) carried out all the steps. The nomenclator indicates 13 main activities (e.g., irradiation, telecobalt therapy, brachytherapy, hyperthermia), each of them featuring some subactivities (e.g., telecobalt therapy: flash, a fixed beam, two opposing beams). The following productive factor were considered: a) personnel; b) material; c) investments; d) the service cost; e) general costs. The personnel cost (the main cost) was calculated as: A) routine activity; B) activity for other units; C) congress activity; D) research. The times for individual performances were estimated according to professional roles (e.g., medical doctor, physicist, technician, nurse, administrative) for each subactivity. RESULTS: The estimated RT costs were as follows (please note that all figures are expressed in US $, at a rate of 1$ = ItL 1700). Irradiation: 15 (cost/session +/- 3%); telecobalt therapy: 30-55; Linac (energy < > 10 Mev): 38-60; special techniques: 931-2,314; HDR brachytherapy: 878-1,515; hyperthermia: 285; simulation: 50-92; dosimetry: 52-286; examination, treatment planning, follow-up, etc.: 24-59; immobilization devices, photographs, etc.: 3-66. The quality criteria are related to the personnel; high energy equipment; treatment planning; 3D dosimetry. CONCLUSIONS: Our study led the Italian Ministry of Health to revise the estimated cost of RT examinations in July, 1996. We will further enquire into the new figures.

Weekly Cisplatin induction chemotherapy in high-risk cervical-cancer patients with bulky tumor - a phase-ii study.

In this study we evaluated efficacy and toxicity of a neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen before radiation therapy or surgery in high-risk cevical cancer patients. Between January 1988 and July 1993, 37 out of 40 consecutive patients with bulky cervical carcinoma (>40 mm) received chemotherapy consisting of six (range 4-9) weekly courses of cisplatin (1 mg/kg), followed by radical surgery and/or radiotherapy. Thirty-six patients completed the planned sequence of treatment. Overall response rate was 65% after induction chemotherapy (complete 0% and partial 65%) and 73% (complete 57% and partial 16%) after definitive treatment. After a median follow-up of 23 (range 4-61) months the median duration of response was 29, 19 and 11 months for complete partial and non-responders respectively. Toxicities from induction chemotherapy were mild to moderate, reversible and tolerable and did not affect the subsequent application of the definitive treatment. The proposed cisplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen gave positive results in a good number of cases with low toxicity and without interfering with the definitive radio-surgical treatment of this group of high-risk patients. The number of cisplatin courses for best effect remains to be established.

[Survival and recurrence of endometrial adenocarcinoma]. / Sopravvivenza e recidive dell'adenocarcinoma dell'endometrio.

444 endometrial carcinomas were retrospectively reviewed. Disease-free survival (DFS) was 83.6% at five years and 80.5% at ten years. 349 T1 cancers were treated by TAH-BSO and post-operative irradiation; 22.6% of them were over-staged. DFS ranged from 100% to 91% in 270 low-risk T1 patients, dropping to 84% in intermediate risk patients and to 44% in high-risk patients. DFS was 93% and 66% in the patients overstaged as pT2 and pT3, respectively; it was 82% for ovarian spread and 45% for pelvic peritoneum/parametrium invasion. T2-T3 patients were treated with preoperative irradiation and bilateral hysterectomy. DFS was 90.5% vs. 72.2% and 2/2 vs. 3/7 when the lesion was understaged. The results of irradiation were similar to literature data, but 53% of patients (all in poor general conditions and/or very old) died from associated diseases. Relapses were observed in 13.6% of cases (62/444 patients); 29 (6%) were local recurrences and 33 (7.6%) were distant metastases, which correlated well with recurrences and 33 (7.6%) were distant metastases, which correlated well with risk factors. Severe complication (G3) were observed in 6.3% of cases.

A glossary for reporting complications of treatment in gynecological cancers.

Reporting and scoring treatment complications in gynecological cancers is difficult because of the variety of normal tissues, anatomical structures and treatment disciplines involved, making it impossible to compare series of patients treated in different institutions even with the same strategy. An international group of experts (gynecologists, radiotherapists and surgeons) developed a multidisciplinary database to identify, score and report early and late normal tissue damage regardless of treatment strategy. The principles involve: (1) The identification of relevant organs and tissues; (2) An accurate definition of the type and score of each complication; (3) Reporting combinations of complications of various degrees; (4) A computerized format for data acquisition, update and retrieval. In the present version, the "Glossary" describes five degrees of increasing severity (0 to 4) in 14 organs and/or normal tissues. The rationale of the glossary leaves it open for as yet undescribed types of complications. This paper contains the definition and scoring for each type of complication, general guidelines for their use.

Analysis of complications of cervix carcinoma treated by radiotherapy using the Franco-Italian glossary.

We analysed the complications of 215 patients with uterine cervix cancer, treated by radiotherapy (RT) alone. It was done according to the rules of the Franco-Italian glossary, presented at the 7th ESTRO meeting, held in The Hague on September 1988. They were ranked by organ sites and by degrees of gravity. The analysis was done on the total number of complications and they were scored at the highest reached grade of gravity. Seventy one complications were found in 55 patients; they were studied by patient, degree of severity, time of onset, organ system and grade, time of onset and grade, time of onset and organ sites, stage and RT doses and brachytherapy volumes. The importance of the study of complications is stressed, particularly when treatment combines external RT and brachytherapy; some guidelines are given to avoid severe complications.

Comparative analysis between clinical requests and magnetic resonance imaging results in neurological diseases.

In order to rationalize the use of MR, which is a high cost technology and not widely available, we analysed comparatively the reasons of test requests and MR diagnosis. We selected three groups of motivations for requests: diagnosis, symptoms and aspecific symptoms: they all were related with MR results classifying concordance, negativity and discordance groups. The results were evaluated also considering whether the patients were hospitalized or outpatients and in relation to the brain, the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions. Within the general group we found a negativity of 36%, which increases to 52.5% if the motivation of the exam was a symptom and to 88% if the symptom was aspecific, whereas it fell to 26% with the request belonging to the group diagnosis. Concordance was higher in the brain and in the cervical spine (62% and 61%) whereas it was 46% in thoracic and lumbar spine and higher, even if not statistically significative, in the group of hospitalized patients compared to the outpatients.

Complications of uterine cervix carcinoma treatments: the problem of a uniform classification.

Ninety-six articles published in English, French and Italian between 1938 and 1986 have been examined in order to analyze the classifications and reporting methods used by different researchers. Specialty and nationality of authors, classifications used, organs, systems and anatomic sites considered, weight given to the most frequently encountered complications are studied. Fifty-nine papers make no use of classification of complications of any kind, neither by onset time, nor by severity, but simply describe the observed events. The remaining 37 papers use a classification based on varying criteria. Thirty-four authors use a classification by severity according to different criteria; four authors classify complications according to the treatment required. In the remaining 30 papers a true scale is used. A total of 22 classifications emerges from these papers; in eight cases a previously published classification is used. The weight assigned by different authors to specific complications has been compared. The following main points emerge from the analysis: about two authors out of three simply describe the observed complications; 30 rely on a true scale of severity, but 22 different grading systems are used. Most classifications do not cover all possible complications, both surgical and radiotherapeutic, but concentrate on those complications which are typically generated by author's therapeutic approach. Only three take into account complications related to different treatment modalities. The observation period is not standardized: published data derive from follow-up times spanning from some months to many years. Authors mainly focus their interest on gastrointestinal and/or urinary complications; other organs and systems are rarely considered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Complications of uterine cervix treatments: proposal for a glossary for a uniform classification.

Complications and inevitable sequelae or side effects of Uterine Cervix Cancer Treatments are reported in many Papers. Some Authors simply describe the observed complications, others use some kind of Classification. The major problem is that, as complications are often a very soft endpoint, reporting criteria and classifications used vary from one Author to another, in such a way that no comparison is possible between data reported by different Authors. Sometimes the same Author uses different classifications and reporting criteria in different papers. Moreover no comparison is possible between complications arising from different treatment modalities like Surgery, Radiotherapy or combined Radio-Surgical treatment. In this paper a classification encompassing virtually all the complications that can be observed with any possible treatment of uterine cervix cancer is proposed. Complications, divided by anatomical site and classified in different degrees according to their severity, are gathered into a glossary. General rules for the use of the glossary are given.

Results of treatment of uterine cervix cancer by radiotherapy.

The results of treatment of uterine cervix cancer by radiotherapy alone in 259 patients in the period January 1973 to December 1984 are reported. They are analyzed according to patients age, stage, tumor volume, extent of parametrial infiltration, hydronephrosis and nodal status. It is shown that age, tumor volume, extent of parametrial invasion and nodal metastases are the main prognostic factors. Analysis of pelvic failures shows that external radiotherapy followed by curietherapy seems to be the best method for patients with T2b and T3b tumors of small volume (less than 60 mm in diameter), particularly when parametrial infiltration is limited. Patients with T2b tumors of large volume (barrel shaped) seem to need a more aggressive approach, and a higher number of complications are therefore expected. Patients with T3b and massive parametrial infiltration, with T4 and nodal metastases need new and different approaches, possibly including adjuvant chemotherapy.

Inter-observer variability in the interpretation of mammograms.

Inter-observer agreement was tested in the interpretation by 8 radiologists of mammograms from 45 women (for a total of 180 films per radiologist). The radiologists were representative of the whole range of those involved in mammography in the town of Torino, with a number of films read per year ranging from 100 to 4000. Out of the 45, 9 women were affected by breast cancer (histologically proved), 25 had benign disease (diagnosed with fine-needle aspiration) and 11 had normal breasts. Weighted kappa values were in the range 0.27-0.82 (median 0.60) for parenchymal patterns; 0.33-0.67 (0.48) for diagnosis in five categories; and 0.22-0.57 (0.38) for indications for further diagnostic tests. These values are comparable with those reported from other investigations.

[The dosimetry of gynecological curietherapy by means of computed tomography]. / La dosimetria nella curieterapia endocavitaria ginecologica per mezzo della tomografia computerizzata.

The dosimetry of endocavitary curietherapy by means of CT in 15 patients, affected by cancer of the uterine cervix was studied. The results were compared with those obtained by the method of the European Group of Curietherapy. The authors measured the dimensions of the treated volume and the dose at critical points. The good relationship between the 2 methods is demonstrated, and the great possibilities opened by the new method are emphasized.

Radiosurgical treatment of uterine cervix carcinoma at the 1st Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Turin, (in the period 1972-1978).

The Authors report the results of a planned prospective study on Radiosurgical treatment of carcinoma of the cervix at stage Ia, Ib, and IIa. The protocol adopted is based on preoperative Curietherapy performed by Ir192 on a after loading technique device, hysterectomy according the Wertheim-Meigs' technique with systematic lymphadenectomy for the internal and external iliacs and obturator stations, Telecobalt therapy in cases with hystological evidence of lymphatic spread. The Authors discuss the results after three and five years in term of survival according to stage and type of treatment, the anatomosurgical examination and the histologic findings of the lymph nodes. At the end, they analysed the complications according to the stage and the kind of treatment, studying only recovered patients and performing the analysis after three years, in order to allow all complications to appear.