Is there a role for adjuvant hysterectomy after suboptimal concurrent chemoradiation in cervical carcinoma?

Failure to carry out intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) in cervical carcinoma results in suboptimal chemoradiation and increases the risk of recurrence. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of adjuvant hysterectomy after unsuccessful ICBT.

A retrospective analysis was carried out of all women referred with cervical carcinoma between January 1999 and July 2007 where ICBT insertion was unsuccessful after the initial chemoradiation. The data collected and analysed included histology, stage of disease, causes for unsuccessful ICBT insertion, the response to the initial chemoradiation, subsequent treatment, morbidity, recurrence rates and survival rates. Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank methods were used to analyse recurrence-free and overall survival rates.

ICBT insertion was unsuccessful in 19 of 208 (9%) patients. The causes of failure were: inability to dilate the cervix; uterine perforation; vesicovaginal fistula; patient refusal; other problems, including the presence of pyometrium, patient not fit for general anaesthetic, and narrow vagina; and consultant choice with no obvious reason. Fourteen of 19 patients (74%) received further pelvic external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) alone; five (26%) patients underwent adjuvant hysterectomy. The median follow-up for all patients was 63 months; 60 months for patients treated with adjuvant hysterectomy (range 31-68 months) and 85 months for patients treated with further EBRT. None of the patients treated with adjuvant hysterectomy developed any significant late toxicity. Seven patients (50%) treated with EBRT have relapsed compared with none in the adjuvant hysterectomy arm (P=0.068). Six patients (43%) in the EBRT arm have subsequently died of recurrent disease compared with none in the adjuvant hysterectomy arm (P=0.152).

Adjuvant hysterectomy after unsuccessful ICBT does not seem to increase late toxicity and reduces the risk of pelvic recurrence and may improve survival. The role of adjuvant hysterectomy after suboptimal chemoradiation merits further investigation in clinical trials.