Personalized strategies for brachytherapy of cervix cancer

Abstract

Among most tailored approaches in radiation oncology, the development of brachytherapy for the treatment of cervical cancer patients has benefited from various technological innovations. The development of 3D image-guided treatments was the first step for treatment personalization. This breakthrough preceded practice homogenization and validation of predictive dose and volume parameters and prognostic factors. We review some of the most significant strategies that emerged from the ongoing research in order to increase personalization in uterovaginal brachytherapy. A better stratification based on patients and tumors characteristics may lead to better discriminate candidates for intensification or de-escalation strategies, in order to still improve patient outcome while minimizing the risk of treatment-related side effects.

Keywords: Brachytherapy; Cancer du col utérin; Cervical cancer; Curiethrérapie; Oncologie radiothérapie; Personalization; Radiation oncology; personnalisation.