Tolerance of combined radiochemotherapy in cervical cancer patients

Radiochemotherapy in cervical cancer was implemented to clinical practice based on 5 randomized clinical trials, published at the end of the 20th century, which showed improvement in the total and symptomless survivals by about 10-18%. The increase of therapeutic index of such treatment can take place only when the efficiency of the treatment outweighs the increase of its toxicity. Thus, it is necessary to monitor treatment reaction during radiochemotherapy.

The aim of this study was to assess the acute post-radiation reaction during radiochemotherapy for cervical cancer and the to analyze the reasons of the unplanned course of combined treatment.

A group of consecutive 176 cervical cancer patients in the clinical stage from IB to IIIB acc. to FIGO classification who underwent radiochemotherapy were taken under prospective observation in Clinical Gynecologic Radiotherapy Ward of the Lower Silesian Cancer Center in Wrocław between April 2010 and September 2012. Early post-radiation reaction was assessed in RTOG/EORTC scale once a week.

During the treatment early post-radiation reaction of upper part of alimentary duct was observed in 74.4% of the patients, the reaction of lower part of gastrointestinal tract in 51.2%, and in bladder 44.8%. The most frequent symptoms of post-radiation reaction are: nausea (73.3% of the patients), diarrhea (51.2%) and vomiting (20.9%). Leucopenia was observed in 97.1% of the patients, granulocytopenia in 70.4%, anemia in 69.2%, and thrombocytopenia in 25.5%. The planned dose of radiotherapy was administered completely in 90.1% of the patients. A break in radiotherapy was necessary in 15.7% of the patients. In total, 44.8% of the patients did not receive radiochemotherapy according to the plan, because of the side effects of the treatment (most often leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and gastrointestinal reaction).

The presented data shows that radiochemotherapy causes the intensification of acute side effects of treatment and may cause unplanned course of treatment and prolongation of the total treatment time.