Treatment of cervical carcinoma employing a template for transperineal interstitial Ir192 brachytherapy

The development of a template technique at this institution for transperineal interstitial-intracavitary brachytherapy employing Ir192 wire has previously been reported. In this paper we report the results of radiation treatment of 84 women with fresh, primary squamous carcinoma of the cervix admitted to the Los Angeles County--University of Southern California Medical Center from April, 1975 to September, 1979 who received at least one transperineal template implant as part of their initial treatment. The 75 evaluable patients were followed 3 to 60 months, with a median of 17 months. Recurrence rates in the pelvic treatment field by clinical (FIGO) stage grouping were 35.7% (5/14) Stage IB;0% (0/8) Stage IIA; 20% (5/25) Stage IIB; 46.2% (12/26) Stage III; and 0% (0/2) Stage IVA. The overall failure rate within the treatment field was 29.3% (22/75). The non-tumor associated rectovaginal and vesicovaginal fistula rate was 14.3% (2/14) in Stage IB; 0% (0/8) in Stage IIA; 16.0% (4/25) in Stage IIB; 15.4% (4/26) in Stage III; and 0% (0/2) in Stage IVA. The non-tumor associated fistula rate for all stages was 13.3% (10/75). Severe or grade III nonfistulous, delayed adverse effects (proctosigmoiditis, cystitis, vault necrosis) occurred in an additional 6 patients. Thus, 21.3% (16/75) of all evaluable patients experienced severe adverse radiation effects during the follow-up period. Pre-radiation staging laparotomy was performed on 31 patients. It had no obvious effect on the pattern or rate of radiation complications. The role of the interstitial-intracavitary template in the treatment of primary cervical carcinoma is discussed.