Brachytherapy versus radical hysterectomy after external beam chemoradiation: a non-randomized matched comparison in IB2-IIB cervical cancer patients
2009

Brachytherapy vs. Radical Hysterectomy for Cervical Cancer

Sample size: 80 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Cetina Lucely, Garcia-Arias Alicia, Candelaria Myrna, Cantú David, Rivera Lesbia, Coronel Jaime, Bazan-Perkins Blanca, Flores Vladimir, Gonzalez Aaron, Dueñas-González Alfonso

Primary Institution: Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Mexico City, Mexico

Hypothesis

Can radical hysterectomy after external beam chemoradiation provide similar survival outcomes as brachytherapy in cervical cancer patients?

Conclusion

Radical hysterectomy can be performed after external beam chemoradiation without compromising survival in cervical cancer patients when brachytherapy is not available.

Supporting Evidence

  • Both treatment groups had similar clinicopathological characteristics.
  • The median follow-up was 26 months for surgery and 22 months for standard therapy.
  • Eight patients in each group experienced recurrence and died.

Takeaway

Doctors compared two treatments for cervical cancer: one group had surgery after radiation, and the other had radiation with a special type of treatment called brachytherapy. Both groups did equally well.

Methodology

This was a non-randomized matched comparison of 80 cervical cancer patients treated with either external beam chemoradiation followed by brachytherapy or radical hysterectomy.

Potential Biases

Potential biases due to non-randomized design and matching process.

Limitations

The study is non-randomized, which may introduce biases in patient selection.

Participant Demographics

Patients were matched by age, FIGO stage, and histology, with a median age of 45 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.016 for hydronephrosis, p<0.008 for proctitis

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1477-7819-7-19

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