Expedience of conventional radiotherapy in locally advanced cervix cancer: A retrospective analysis

Objective: Analysis was done to assess the implications of total radiation treatment duration towards locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods: A comparative study was conducted in CNCI, Kolkata. A total of 38 patients were studied with interdigited brachyttherapy during the course of conventional teleradiotherapy and they were compared to a total of 39 patients with conventional sequential teletherapy and brachytherapy. Results: In the experimental arm all the patients had complete response to treatment whereas, 24 patients (85.7%) in the conventional arm had complete response [P = 0.08]. At the last follow up 28 patients (73.68%) in the study arm and 17 patients (43.58%) in the control arm were free of disease. The failure rate in the conventional control arm was significantly higher [P = 0.035]. Test of proportion derived from data also showed that the proportion of patients with no evidence of disease at the time of last follow-up was significantly higher in the study arm compared to the control arm [P < 0.05] and the proportion of patients with persistent disease was significantly less in the stuwdy arm compared to the control arm [P < 0.05]. The probability of disease-free survival in percentage according to the curve at the time of median follow-up was approximately 70% for study arm and 60% for control arm [log-rank test, P = 0.2463]. Conclusion: we should hence minimize treatment time and avoid any planned or unplanned interruptions or delays by timely integration of external beam and intra-cavitary irradiation that may yield a better local control in locally advanced cervical cancer.