Radiotherapy for carcinoma of the uterine cervix by remotely controlled afterloading intracavitary system with high-dose-rate

Between January 1978 and June 1985 seventy-nine patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated by a remotely controlled afterloading system (RALS) with high-dose-rate irradiation following external beam therapy. It was given once a week with a dose per fraction of 6 Gy to point A, 3 to 6 times, using applicators equipped with 1 Ci 60Co bead in each ovoid and two 1 Ci 60Co beads in a tandem 1 cm apart. Five-year survival rates were 85, 68, and 51 percent in Stages I, II, and III, respectively. Recurrences were noted in 12 patients (20%) with a minimum follow-up of 2 years: 4 patients in the parametrium, 2 in the central area, 5 in both the parametrium and central areas, and 5 in the pare-aortic lymph node. Complications were noted in 13 patients (22%): temporary rectal bleeding in 7, stenosis of the sigmoid in 2, recto-vaginal fistula in 1, ileo-sigmoidal fistula in 1, and perforation of the intestine in 2 patients. The treatment results of the high-dose-rate schedule for RALS appear to be comparable to those of conventional low-dose-rate systems reported by others. Therefore a fraction dose of 6 Gy to point A once a week by RALS should be considered to be practical, economical, and acceptable to patients.