Evaluation of treatment results and prognostic factors in early-stage cervical carcinoma patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical features, prognostic factors, and treatment outcome in early-stage cervical carcinoma patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy (RT)/radiochemotherapy (RCT). METHODS: The records of 256 Stage IB and II cervical cancer patients treated with postoperative RT/RCT from 1992-2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Median age of the patients was 47 (range: 25-78). Two hundred one (78.6%) patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 29 (11.3%) had adenocarcinoma. One hundred and eighty-seven (73.0%) had FIGO Stage IB and 69 (27%) had Stage II disease. Concomitant cisplatin-based chemotherapy was administered to 47 (18.4%) patients. Metastatic lymph node ratio (MLNR), defined as number of metastatic lymph nodes divided by the number of dissected lymph nodes, was 0 in 142 (55.5%) patients, from 1% to 10% in 27 (10.5%) and > 10% in 31 (12.1%) patients. RESULTS: Median follow-up duration was 60.5 months (range: 6-202 months). Five-year locoregional control (LRC), disease-free survival (DFS), disease specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 90.8%, 83.4%, 91.2%, and 85%, respectively. In multivariate analysis; bulky tumor (> 4 cm) was shown as an important prognostic factor for LRC, DFS and DSS. Pretreatment hemoglobin level (< 10 g/dl) was associated with lower OS rate. Endometrial involvement was associated with lower LRC and DFS. Treatment break > 14 days showed significance for DFS and DSS. MLNR was found as a valuable prognostic factor for all endpoints (LRC, DFS, DSS and OS). The rate of grade 3-4 late toxicity was 3.6% and 2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Postoperative RT/RCT is an effective treatment modality for early-stage cervical cancer patients with unfavorable features and provides satisfactory local control and survival rates with low morbidity.

Screening for metastasis in primary breast cancer patients having four or more axillary lymph node involvement: is it really necessary?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the necessity and direct cost effectiveness of screening and staging procedures in breast cancer patients having ≥4 positive axillary lymph nodes and to identify further possible biopathological risk factors associated with increased risk of metastasis. METHODS: We reviewed the demographic and clinicopathological data from the medical records of 1897 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Patients having ≥4 positive axillary lymph nodes after primary surgery for breast cancer and who had staging examinations for metastasis were eligible. The impact of staging procedures (thoracoabdominal CT, bone scan etc.) for detecting metastasis, decision of adjuvant treatment and direct costs were analyzed in 329 patients with operable breast cancer. RESULTS: Thirty-five (10.6%) patients were found with metastasis at diagnosis. Seven (20.0%) among them had multiple metastases. Eighteen (51.4%) had lung, 17 (48.6%) bone, and 7 (20.0%) liver metastasis. Twenty-one (60.0%) patients needed further radiological investigation for metastasis confirmation. Treatment decision was changed in 27 (77.1%) patients. No statistically significant risk factor was identified among the metastatic patients by means of conventional demographic and biopathological parameters. The cost of screening was lower when compared to the cost of treatment without any screening procedure. CONCLUSION: Since the conventional clinicopathological data seems not sufficient to define the risk of developing metastasis in breast cancer patients with ≥4 axillary lymph node involvement, all of them should undergo full staging examinations until new parameters based on genomic level are defined. Staging procedures need modification for high risk breast cancer patients.

Prognostic factors in definitive radiotherapy of uterine cervical cancer.

PURPOSE: To determine the prognostic factors related to local control and survival in 257 patients with uterine cervical cancer treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 257 patients treated with definitive RT from January 1987 to December 1998 were reviewed retrospectively. Pretreatment and treatment parameters were analyzed to determine their prognostic value onlocal control and survival. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used for univariate analyses and the Cox regression model was used for multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Median age was 55 (range 25-82). Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histologic type (89.1%). The distribution per FIGO Stage was IIA: 13.2%; IIB: 54.9%; IIIA: 3.9%; IIIB: 19.8%; IVA: 8.2%. Ninety-eight patients (38.1%) were treated with external RT alone; 134 (52.1%) received both external RT and intracavitary brachytherapy; 21 (8.2%) received external RT and chemotherapy and four (1.6%) received external RT, intracavitary brachytherapy and chemotherapy. Median follow-up duration was 50 months (range 24-155 months). The failure rate was 51.8% with 26.5% of patients having only local failure, 16.7% only distant failure and 8.6% both local and distant failure. Five-year local progression-free, disease-free and overall survival rates were 58.1%, 44% and 63.7%, respectively. In univariate analysis the prognostic factors identified for local progression-free survival were histology (p = 0.008), FIGO stage (p < 0.001), initial hemoglobin (Hgb) level (p = 0.001), total radiation dose (p = 0.039), use of brachytherapy (p = 0.001) and of chemotherapy (p = 0.037) and enlarged paraaortic nodes (p = 0.016). In multivariate analysis the prognostic factors were FIGO stage (p = 0.014), initial Hgb level (p = 0.040), and use of brachytherapy (p = 0.013). The prognostic factors identified for disease-free survival were histology (p = 0.011), FIGO stage (p < 0.001), initial Hgb level (p < 0.001), use of brachytherapy (p = 0.001) and of chemotherapy (p = 0.014) in univariate analysis; and FIGO stage (p < 0.001), initial Hgb level (p = 0.017), total tumor dose (p = 0.034), use of brachytherapy (p = 0.006) and of chemotherapy (p = 0.021) in multivariate analysis. Factors influencing overall survival were FIGO stage (p < 0.001), initial Hgb level (p = 0.006), overall treatment time (p = 0.028), total tumor dose (p = 0.007), use of brachytherapy (p < 0.001), enlarged paraaortic (p < 0.001) and pelvic nodes (p = 0.004) in univariate analysis; and FIGO stage (p < 0.001), overall treatment time (p = 0.031), enlarged paraaortic (p = 0.007) and pelvic lymph nodes (p = 0.043) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Definitive RT is an effective treatment for patients with uterine cervical cancer. There are many prognostic factors influencing treatment outcome. Brachytherapy and chemotherapy must be added in appropriate patients to improve the outcome. Future prospective trials should be undertaken to confirm the validity of these factors and to individualize the treatment strategy for every patient.

Hyperfractionated radiotherapy combined with simultaneous chemotherapy in inoperable non-small cell lung cancer: a pilot study.

Between March 1992 and February 1993, hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HRT) (1.2 Gy.fraction-1, twice a day, total dosage of 69.6 Gy) and simultaneous cisplatin (70 mg.m-2, 3rd and 23rd days of HRT) and etoposide (70 mg.m-2, 1-3rd and 20-23rd days of HRT) were applied to 27 patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Their Karnofsky performance statuses were 70-90%, and mean age was 52 (36-63). Two cases were stage II (one of the patients refused the operation and the other was medically inoperable because of insufficient ventilation), eight were stage IIIA and 17 were stage IIIB. No severe life-threatening grade IV acute toxicity findings were observed. Generally, acute side-effects were transient and did not require discontinuation of treatment. Tumour responses were as follows: complete response in six cases (23%); partial response in 19 cases (70%); and stable disease in two (7%). When complete response rates were compared according to stage, histological type, age group and weight loss, no statistically significant difference was found. Median overall and disease-free survival times were 14 months (95% confidence interval) (95% CI) 11-17 months and 10 months (95% CI 7-13 months), respectively. Twelve and 24 months overall and disease-free survival rates were 56 and 30%, and 36 and 24% respectively. No statistically significant difference was found in overall survival rates among epidermoid and nonepidermoid types, while the difference in disease-free survival was statistically significant. The acute and late complications of our HRT and simultaneous chemotherapy protocol were tolerable and the survival rates were encouraging.