Safety and Efficacy of 2D Brachytherapy vs. 3D Image-Guided Adaptive Brachytherapy for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer-A Single Institution Retrospective Study

Background: The treatment paradigm for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) has shifted from two-dimensional-brachytherapy (2D-BT) to three-dimensional-image-guided adaptive BT (3D-IGABT). In this retrospective study, we report our experience with the change from 2D-BT to 3D-IGABT. Methods: We reviewed 146 LACC patients (98 3D-IGABT and 48 2D-BT) who received chemoradiation between 2004 and 2019. The multivariable odds ratio (OR) for treatment-related toxicities and hazard ratios (HR) for locoregional control (LRC), distant control (DC), failure-free survival (FFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) are reported. Results: The median follow-up was 50.3 months. There was a significant decrease in overall late toxicities in the 3D-IGABT group compared to the 2D-BT group (OR 0.22[0.10-0.52]), late gastrointestinal (OR 0.31[0.10-0.93]), genitourinary (OR 0.31[0.09-1.01]) and vaginal toxicities (0% vs. 29.6%). Grade = 3 toxicity was low in both groups (2D-BT: 8.2% acute, 13.3% late vs. 3D-IGABT: 6.3% acute, 4.4% late, NS). The five-year LRC, DC, FFS, CSS and OS for 3D-IGABT were 92.0%, 63.4%, 61.7%, 75.4% and 73.6%, compared to 87.3%, 71.8%, 63.7%, 76.3% and 70.8% for 2D-BT (NS). Conclusions: 3D-IGABT for the treatment of LACC is associated with a decrease in overall late gastrointestinal, genitourinary and vaginal toxicities. The disease control or survival outcomes were comparable to contemporary 3D-IGABT studies.

Automated summary

This retrospective study compared the effects of two-dimensional-brachytherapy (2D-BT) and three-dimensional-image-guided adaptive BT (3D-IGABT) on locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) patients. The results showed that 3D-IGABT significantly reduced the occurrence of late toxicities compared to 2D-BT. There were no significant differences in disease control or survival outcomes between the two groups.