Abstract
Purpose/objective(s)
On October 5, 2018, a meeting of the Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology (SEOR) Brachytherapy Group was held, in collaboration with the Spanish Society of Medical Physics (SEFM), with the aim of preparing a consensus document on postoperative vaginal-cuff brachytherapy (VCBT).
Materials/methods
A survey including 42 questions was sent to Spanish Radiation Oncology Centres before the meeting. The survey items included: experience in VCBT, technique indications, previous patient preparation, applicator type, implant procedure, computerized tomography (CT) simulation, definition of target volumes and organs at risk (OAR), dose prescription, fractionation, treatment planning, dosimetric parameters and constraints to OAR. Thirty-three centres answered the survey. Statistical analysis of the survey considered that there was consensus when there was ≥ 85% of agreement related to a survey item, otherwise an item with < 85% of agreement would be discussed during the meeting to reach consensus.
Results
The results of the survey are reported here. The mean number of patients treated per centre in 2017 was 52 ± 41 (range 7–175), and the mean number of procedures per centre was 175 ± 150 (range 24–701).There was consensus on: the indications, applicator type, the OAR to be considered, the prescription point, standardisation and dosimetric quality parameters. There was no consensus on: patient preparation for the implant, the need for performing CT simulation and the frequency, the length of the vagina to be treated, if CTV should be delimited, the definition of the clinical target volume, fractionation, overall EQD2, active source length, separation between dwelling stepping source positions, if considering the uniformity/maximum values for dwelling stepping sources, the optimization mode, and the limiting doses to the OAR. After presenting the results of the survey, the consensus meeting discussion focused on the issues for which there was no consensus.
Conclusion
A consensus document on postoperative VCBT of the Spanish Brachytherapy Groups of SEOR—SEFM was elaborated.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ferlay J, Colombet M, Soerjomataram I, et al. Estimating the global cancer incidence and mortality in 2018: GLOBOCAN sources and methods. Int J Cancer. 2019;144(8):1941–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.31937.
Guinot JL, Pérez-Calatayud J, Azcoaga JM, Herruzo I, Bodineau C, Rovirosa A, Crispín V, Galán P, González-Patiño E, Pérez-Regadera J, Polo A, on behalf of the SEOR and the SEFM Brachytherapy Groups. Consensus on treatment of endometrium carcinoma with brachytherapy. Clin Transl Oncol. 2012;14:263–70.
Hoskin P, Hellebust TP, Nout R, Jϋrgenliemk-Schulz I, Meder CH, Van Limbergen E, Poetter R. Endometrial cancer. In: Van Limbergen E, Pötter R, Hoskin P, Baltas D, editors. The GEC ESTRO handbook of brachytherapy. Belgium: ESTRO; 2016.
Nout RA, Smit VT, Putter H, et al. Vaginal brachytherapy versus pelvic external beam radiotherapy for patients with endometrial cancer of high-intermediate risk (PORTEC-2): an open-label, non-inferiority, randomized trial. Lancet. 2020;375:816–23.
Creutzberg CL, et al. Surgery and postoperative radiotherapy versus surgery alone for patients with stage-1 endometrial carcinoma: multicentre randomised trial. PORTEC study group. Postoperative radiation therapy in endometrial carcinoma. Lancet. 2000;355:1404–11.
Keys HM, et al. A phase III trial of surgery with or without adjunctive external pelvic radiation therapy in intermediate risk endometrial adenocarcinoma: a gynecologic oncology group study. Gynecol Oncol. 2004;92:744–51.
Nout RA, van de Poll-Franse LV, Lybeert ML, et al. Long-term outcome and quality of life of patients with endometrial carcinoma treated with or without pelvic radiotherapy in the postoperative radiation therapy in endometrial carcinoma 1 (PORTEC-1) trial. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(13):1692–700. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2010.32.4590.
Wortman BG, Creutzberg CL, Putter H, et al. Ten-year results of the PORTEC-2 trial for high intermediate risk endometrial carcinoma: improving patient selection for adjuvant therapy. Br J Cancer. 2018;119(9):1067–74. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-018-0310-8.
Klopp A, Smith BD, Alektiar K, Cabrera A, Damato AL, Erickson B, Fleming G, Gaffney D, Greven K, Lu K, Miller D, Moore D, Petereit D, Schefter T, Small W Jr, Yashar C, Viswanathan AN. The role of postoperative radiation therapy for endometrial cancer: executive summary of an American Society for Radiation Oncology evidence-based guideline. Pract Radiat Oncol. 2014;4:137–44.
Colombo N, Creutzberg C, Amant F, Bosse T, González-Martín A, Ledermann J, Marth C, Nout R, Querleu D, Mirza MR, Sessa C, the ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO Endometrial Consensus Conference Working Group. ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO consensus conference on endometrial cancer: diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2016;27(1):16–41.
de Boer SM, Powell ME, Mileshkin L, Katsaros D, Bessette P, Haie-Meder C, Ottevanger PB, Ledermann JA, Khaw P, Colombo A, Fyles A, Baron M-H, Jürgenliemk-Schulz IM, Kitchener HC, Nijman HW, Wilson G, Brooks S, Carinelli S, Provencher D, Hanzen C, Lutgens LCHW, Smit VTHBM, Singh N, Do V, D’Amico R, Nout RA, Feeney A, Verhoeven-Adema KW, Putter H, Creutzberg CL, on behalf of the PORTEC study group. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone for women with high-risk endometrial cancer (PORTEC-3): final results of an international, open-label, multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2018;19:295–309.
NCCN Clinical practice guidelines in oncology. Uterine neoplasms. Version 1. 2020.
Harkenrider MM, Block AM, Alektiar KM, Klopp A, Viswanathan AN, Small W Jr, et al. American brachytherapy task group report: adyuvant vaginal brachytherapy for early-stage endometrial cancer: a comprehensive review. Brachytherapy. 2017;16(1):95–108.
Small W, Beriwal S, Demanes DJ, Dusenbery KE, Eifel P, Erickson B, Jones E, Rownd JJ, De Santos JFL, Viswanathan AN, Gaffney D. American Brachytherapy Society consensus guidelines for adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy after hysterectomy. Brachytherapy. 2012;11(1):58–67.
Lee JK, Ghanem AI, Modh A, Burmeister C, Mahmoud O, Maxwell GL, Elshaikh MA. The impact of adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy in women with stage II uterine endometrioid carcinoma: results of a National Cancer Database analysis. Brachytherapy. 2018;7(2):319–25.
Casino AR, Iracheta LA, Prat MA, Herreros A, Herruzo I, Casas AP, Rios MB, Marti SS. Cancer de endometrio postoperatorio. In: Casino AR, Ots PS, Iturre EV, editors. Braquiterapia 3D guiada por la imagen. Barcelona: EdikaMed SL; 2017. (ISBN: 978-84-7877-885-0).
Wortman BG, Bosse T, Nout RA, Lutgens LCHW, van der Steen-Banasik EM, Westerveld H, van den Berg H, Slot A, De Winter KAJ, Verhoeven-Adema KW, Smit VTHBM, Creutzberg CL, for the PORTEC Study Group. Molecular-integrated risk profile to determine adjuvant radiotherapy in endometrial cancer: evaluation of the pilot phase of the PORTEC4a trial. Gynecol Oncol. 2018;151:69–75.
Rovirosa A, Ascaso C, Arenas M, Sabater S, Herreros A, Camarasa A, Rios I, Holub K, Pahisa J, Biete A. Can we shorten the overall treatment time in postoperative brachytherapy of endometrial carcinoma? Comparison of two brachytherapy schedules. Radiother Oncol. 2015;116:143–8.
Sabater S, Andres I, Jimenez-Jimenez E, Berenguer R, Sevillano M, Lopez-Honrubia V, Rovirosa A, Sanchez-Prieto R, Arenas M. Rectal contrast increases rectal dose during vaginal-cuff brachytherapy. Brachytherapy. 2016;15(1):35–9.
Yeung AR, Pugh SL, Klopp AH, Gil KM, Wenzel L, Westin SN, Gaffney DK, et al. Improvement in patient-reported outcomes with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (RT) compared with standard RT: a report from the NRG oncology RTOG 1203 study. J Clin Oncol. 2020;38:1685–92.
Nag S, Erickson B, Parikh S, et al. The American Brachytherapy Society Recommendations for HDR brachytherapy for carcinoma of the endometrium. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2000;48:779–90.
Chapman CH, Prisciandaro I, Maturen KE, et al. MRI-based evaluation of the vaginal cuff in brachytherapy planning: are we missing the target? Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2016;95:743–50.
Rovirosa A, Herreros A. In regard to Chapman et al. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2016;95(4):1317–8.
Rovirosa A, Herreros A, Camacho C, Ascaso C, Sanchez J, Cortes S, Sabater S, Sola J, Torne A, Arenas M. Comparative results of three short brachytherapy schedules as exclusive treatment in postoperative endometrial carcinoma. Brachytherapy. 2017;16:1169–74.
Zhang Y, Ascaso C, Herreros A, Sanchez J, Del Pino M, Torné A, Li Y, Sabater S, Arenas M, Biete A, Rovirosa A. Is one brachytherapy fraction of 7 Gy similar to more fractions after external beam irradiation in postoperative endometrial carcinoma? Clin Transl Oncol. 2020;22(8):1295–302.
Aguilera MDV, Rovirosa Á, Ascaso C, et al. Late G2 vagina toxicity in post-operative endometrial carcinoma is associated with a 68 Gy dose equivalentto 2 Gy per fraction (〈/®=3Gy) at 2 cm3 of vagina. J Contemp Brachyther. 2018;10(1):40–6.
Zhang Y, Ascaso C, Herreros A, Sánchez J, Sabater S, del Pino M, Li Y, Gómez G, Torné A, Biete A, Rovirosa Á. Postoperative endometrial carcinoma treated with external beam irradiation plus vaginal-cuff brachytherapy. Is there a dose relationship with G2 vaginal complications? Rep Pract Oncol Radiother. 2020;25:227–32.
Pötter R, Tanderup K, Kirisits C, de Leeuw A, Kirchheiner K, Nout R, Tan LT, Haie-Meder C, Mahantshetty U, Segedin B, Hoskin P, Bruheim K, Rai B, Huang F, Van Limbergen E, Schmid M, Nesvacil N, Sturdza A, Fokdal L, Jensen NBK, Georg D, Assenholt M, Seppenwoolde Y, Nomden C, Fortin I, Chopra S, van der Heide U, Rumpold T, Lindegaard JC, Jürgenliemk-Schulz I, the EMBRACE Collaborative Group. The EMBRACE II study: the outcome and prospect of two decades of evolution within the GEC-ESTRO GYN working group and the EMBRACE studies. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2018;9:48–60.
Zhang Y, Rovirosa A, Ascaso C, Herreros A, Torne A, Li Y, Biete A, Sánchez J. Economic impact of decreasing the fraction number in vaginal cuff brachytherapy: a direct cost analysis. Brachytherapy. 2020;19(1):60–5.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Consortia
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
There is no Conflict of Ethics and Consent Statements.
Ethical approval
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animal performed by any of the authors.
Informed consent
For this type of study formal consent is not required.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Samper Ots, P.M., Rovirosa Casino, A., Herreros Martínez, A. et al. Consensus and recommendations on vaginal-cuff Brachytherapy of the Spanish Brachytherapy Groups of SEOR and SEFM. Clin Transl Oncol 23, 1193–1200 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-020-02510-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-020-02510-8