Intraoperative electron beam radiotherapy during radical surgery for locally advanced and recurrent cervical cancer

Objective. The goal of this study was to determine the toxicity patterns an d clinical usefulness of intraoperative electron beam radiotherapy (IOERT) in patients with unfavorable-outcome cervical cancer. Methods. From January 1986 to June 1999, 67 patients (36 recurrent, 31 prim ary disease) were treated with IOERT. Previously unirradiated patients rece ived preoperative chemoradiation to 45 Gy with cisplatin 20 mg/m(2) and 5-f luorouracil 1000 mg/m(2). IOERT median dose was 12 Gy for primary disease ( range: 10-25) and 15 Gy for recurrent disease (range: 10-20). Results. The 10-year control rate within the area treated with IOERT ("in-f ield" (IF)) for the entire group was 69.4, with 92.8 and 46.4% 10-year IF c ontrol rates for the primary and recurrent patients, respectively. IF contr ol rate correlated with involvement of the parametrial margin (P=0.001), am ount of residual disease (P=0.001), and pelvic lymph node involvement (P=0. 032). The overall incidence of toxic events that might be attributable to I OERT was 14.9%. Chronic pain was observed in 8 of 67 evaluable patients (11 .9%) and motor neuropathy of the lower extremity in one patient (3.2%). Conclusions. IOERT is a valuable boosting technique in the management of ad vanced but resectable cervical cancer. Patients, especially recurrent cases , with positive lymph nodes, parametrial involvement, and/or incomplete res ections have poor local control rates despite IOERT at the doses used in th is study. (C) 2001 Academic Press.