Variability of treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer: How French multidisciplinary teams follow European guidelines?

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is a global public health concern. Despite ESGO recommendations and FIGO classification changes, management of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) remains debated in France. Our study aimed to review LACC treatment practices and assess adherence to ESGO recommendations among different practitioners. METHODS: From February 2021 to August 2022, we conducted a survey among gynecologic oncology surgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists practicing in France and managing LACC (FIGO stages IB3-IVA) according to the 2018 FIGO classification. We analyzed responses against the 2018 ESGO recommendations as a "gold standard." RESULTS: Among 115 respondents (56% radiation oncologists, 30% surgeons, 13% medical oncologists), 48.6% of gynecologic surgeons didn't perform para-aortic lymphadenectomy (PAL) with significant radiologic pelvic involvement. PAL, when indicated by PET-CT, was more common in university hospitals (66.7% of surgeons). Surgeons in university hospitals also followed ESGO recommendations more closely. Overall, compliance with all ESGO recommendations was low: 5.7% of surgeons, 21.5% of radiation oncologists, and 60% of medical oncologists. Prophylactic para-aortic irradiation, per ESGO, was more frequent in comprehensive cancer centers (52% of radiation oncologists). CONCLUSION: Adherence to ESGO recommendations for LACC treatment appears low in France, particularly in surgery, with limited PAL in cases of lymph node negativity on PET-CT. However, these recommendations are more often followed by surgeons in university hospitals and radiation oncologists in cancer centers. Adherence to these recommendations may impact patient survival and warrants evaluation of care quality, justifying the organization of LACC management in expert centers.

[Application in France of the 2021 European recommendations on endometrial cancer]. / Application en France des recommandations européennes 2021 sur le cancer de l'endomètre.

The latest European recommendations of the European Societies of Gynecological Oncology (ESGO), Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) and Anatomopathology (ESP) concerning the management of patients with endometrial cancer were published in 2021. On behalf of the French Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SFOG) and the SFOG campus, we wish to summarize for the French-speaking readership the main measures with a more specific application for France. We also incorporate data from a Delphi survey conducted with a panel of French and French-speaking Swiss experts. The data presented in this article relate to histo-molecular characteristics, radiological data of endometrial cancer, and management of low-risk, intermediate-risk, intermediate-high-risk, and metastatic cancers. The aim of this review article is to show the application of the latest international recommendations to clinicians and pathologists for the implementation of these recommendations.

Adjuvant hypofractionated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost after breast-conserving surgery: A systematic literature review.

PURPOSES: Several studies have shown that simultaneous integrated boost provides better dose homogeneity, improves the biologically effective dose-volume histogram and reduces treatment time compared to sequential boost in breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of published trials evaluating simultaneous integrated boost in hypofractionated radiotherapy to analyze the results in terms of overall survival, local control, early and late side effects, and radiotherapy techniques used. RESULTS: Upon 9 articles, the prescribed dose to the whole breast varied from 40 to 46.8 Gy. The number of fractions varies from 15 to 20 fractions. The prescribed dose per fraction to the boost varied from 2.4 Gy per fraction to 3.4 Gy per fraction for a total boost dose from 48 to 52.8 Gy. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous integrated boost seems effective and safe when given hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation but needs to be validated in prospective trials.

Management of Endometrial Cancer: French Society of Onco-Gynecology's Evaluation through a Delphi Survey.

Our aim was to assess the opinion of a panel of experts and obtain a consensus on the management of endometrial cancer in France and French Switzerland. A Delphi survey was carried out among a panel of French and French-speaking Swiss experts. The first questionnaire included 65 questions divided into eight categories: characterization of experts, histo-molecular characteristics and radiological data of endometrial cancer, and management of low-risk, intermediate-risk, intermediate-high-risk, high-risk, and metastatic cancers. The experts were asked to reply on a 9-point scale, both on the validity and the clarity of each question. After the answers were analyzed, a second questionnaire was sent to the same experts. The study took place between December 2021 and March 2022. Further, 58 (57.4%) of the 101 experts responded in the first round, and 39 recommendations were obtained (60%). Six questions were voted redundant and 20 discordant. These questions were reformulated, and, at the end of the second round, 17 recommendations were validated (85%). In total, the study presents an analysis of 56 questions and related responses. Expert advice helps to clarify non-consensual issues, standardize the management of endometrial cancer, and optimize clinical practices.

Effects of a metallic implant on radiotherapy planning treatment-experience on a human cadaver.

BACKGROUND: Metallic implants (MIs) complicate radiotherapy planning. Several studies have worked on tissue-equivalent phantoms as experimental models to estimate dose distributions in this context. The application of these results to clinical practice remains disputable because the inhomogeneity of human tissue densities is a difficult factor to integrate into dose calculation software. In this work, we evaluate the impact of human tissue inhomogeneities by assessing the discrepancies between treatment planning system (TPS) dose calculations and measured delivered doses on a human cadaver with hip prostheses. METHODS: A total of 143 alanine dosimeters were positioned in contact with the prostheses (bones group), soft tissues (soft tissues group), skin surfaces (skin group) and natural cavities (cavities group) of a human cadaver. The planning target volume (PTV) corresponded to a standard endometrial cancer treatment. The irradiation was performed with 6 MV X-ray tomotherapy at the one fraction-dose of 10 Gy. RESULTS: A total of 140 dosimeters were analyzed. After applying a temperature correction coefficient to the measured doses, the global analysis of all dosimeters showed a significant difference between the calculated doses and the measured doses (P<0.001). For dosimeters of the bones, soft tissues, skin and cavities groups, this difference was also significant (P<0.001 for each group). The mean measured doses were 21.9% lower than the mean calculated doses in the global analysis and 17.0%, 21.2%, 33.0% and 19.0% lower for the bones, soft tissues, skin and cavities groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the received doses were significantly lower than the calculated doses and suggested the need to improve the understanding of this discrepancy.