The importance of adjuvant chemotherapy and pelvic radiotherapy in high-risk early stage endometrial carcinoma

Gynecol Oncol. 2013 Dec;131(3):581-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2013.09.012. Epub 2013 Sep 19.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the impact of a policy change in which women with high-risk early stage endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: This is a population-based retrospective cohort study of British Columbia Cancer Registry patients diagnosed from 2008 to 2012 with high-risk early stage EEC, who received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy after primary surgery. High-risk early stage was defined as the presence of two or more high-risk uterine factors: grade 3 tumor, more than 50% myometrial invasion, and/or cervical stromal involvement. Adjuvant therapy consisted of 3 or 4 cycles of carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy, followed by pelvic radiotherapy. Sites and rate of recurrence were compared to a historical cohort diagnosed from 2005 to 2008 in which none of the patients received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Five-year progression-free and overall survival rates were calculated.

Results: The study includes 55 patients. All patients except for 2 received at least 3 cycles of chemotherapy. All patients received pelvic radiotherapy except for 2 who received brachytherapy only. Median follow-up was 27 months (7-56 months). Four patients (7.3%) recurred, including three with distant recurrence only and one with both a pelvic and paraaortic nodal recurrence. The historical cohort had a 29.4% recurrence rate, and therefore the hazard ratio for recurrence was 0.27 (95% CI 0.02-4.11). Five-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 88.6% and 97.3%, respectively.

Conclusion: Patients with high-risk early stage endometrial carcinoma treated with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy have a low rate of recurrence compared to those not receiving such therapy.

Keywords: Chemotherapy; Endometrial cancer; Lymphadenectomy; Radiation therapy.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Carboplatin / administration & dosage
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / radiotherapy*
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / surgery
  • Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Cohort Studies
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / pathology
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / surgery
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Paclitaxel / administration & dosage
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Survival Rate

Substances

  • Carboplatin
  • Paclitaxel