Early determination of uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma radioresponse identifies high- and low-response tumors

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2006 Mar 15;64(4):1179-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2005.09.022. Epub 2005 Dec 15.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate whether early-assessed radioresponse of tumors corresponds with late-assessed radioresponse, which is associated with local disease control in radiotherapy (RT) for cervical cancer.

Methods and materials: This prospective study included 12 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma treated by RT with or without concurrent cisplatin. Tumor volume was estimated by scheduled magnetic resonance imaging before (preRT), 3 to 4 weeks after (early assessment), and 6 to 7 weeks after (late assessment) RT initiation. Radioresponse was assessed with tumor shrinkage curves based on these volumes. Radioresponse for each tumor was calculated as the slope (day(-1)) of the shrinkage curve by fitting to an exponential equation.

Results: Early-assessed radioresponse ranged from 0.001 to 0.106 day(-1) (median, 0.021 day(-1)) and late-assessed radioresponse from 0.009 to 0.091 day(-1) (median, 0.021 day(-1)), with no significant difference between them (p = 0.1191). The early-assessed radioresponse correlated with the late-assessed radioresponse (R(2) = 0.714, p = 0.0005).

Conclusions: Correspondence between early- and late-assessed radioresponse in a series of tumors showing a wide range of radioresponse was not particularly close overall. However, early assessment of radioresponsiveness did seem to be useful for characterizing those tumors with high or low radioresponsiveness.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / radiotherapy*
  • Cisplatin / therapeutic use
  • Combined Modality Therapy / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / therapeutic use
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / pathology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / radiotherapy*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Radiation-Sensitizing Agents
  • Cisplatin