Post-operative small pelvic intensity-modulated radiation therapy for early-stage cervical cancer with intermediate-risk factors: efficacy and toxicity

Objective The aim of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of post-operative small pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy in early-stage cervical cancer patients with intermediate-risk factors. Methods Between 2012 and 2016, 151 patients who had cervical cancer (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I–IIA) with intermediate-risk factors were treated with post-operative small pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy. The median dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions with small pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy was prescribed to the planning target volume. The intensity-modulated radiotherapy technique used was conventional fixed-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy or helical tomotherapy. Results The median follow-up was 37 months. The 3-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 89 and 96%, respectively. A total of 144 patients (95.3%) were alive at the last follow-up. In total, 6 patients (3.9%) had recurrence: locoregional recurrence in 3 patients (2%), distant metastasis in 2 (1.3%), and both in 1 (0.6%). Diarrhoea was the most common acute toxicity. There were no patients suffering from acute or late grade ≥ 3 toxicity. Only 4 patients (2.6%) had late grade 2 toxicities. Conclusions For early-stage cervical cancer patients with intermediate-risk factors, post-operative small pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy was safe and well tolerated. The rates of acute and late toxicities were quite satisfactory.