Effect of chemotherapy combined with postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy on the survival of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: a retrospective study based on SEER database / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effect of chemotherapy combined with postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy on the overall survival (OS) of early and advanced (Ⅰ-Ⅱ A and Ⅱ B-Ⅳ) small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (SCNEC)patients and analyze the prognostic factors. Methods:The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result (SEER) database was used to search and screen out 269 SCNEC patients who received chemotherapy from 2004 to 2016. These patients were divided into four groups according to different treatment regimens chemotherapy + postoperative radiotherapy group, chemotherapy + surgery group, chemotherapy + radiotherapy group and chemotherapy-alone group. Kaplan-Meier curve was utilized to compare the OS of SCNEC patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ A and Ⅱ B-Ⅳ with different treatment regimens. Log-rank test and Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate significant clinicopathological factors on prognosis. Results:For patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ A, the 5-year OS rate of chemotherapy + postoperative radiotherapy group, chemotherapy + surgery group, chemotherapy + radiotherapy group and chemotherapy-alone group were 39.9%, 71.7%, 24.5% and 0, respectively. Among patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ A, chemotherapy + surgery group had a better prognosis ( HR 0.403, 95% CI 0.112-1.112, P=0.047) than chemotherapy + postoperative radiotherapy group. For stage Ⅱ B-Ⅳ patients, the 5-year OS rate of the chemotherapy + postoperative radiotherapy group, chemotherapy + surgery group, chemotherapy + radiotherapy group and chemotherapy-alone group were 35.2%, 24.3%, 17.7% and 0, respectively. Among patients with stage Ⅱ B-Ⅳ, chemotherapy + surgery group, chemotherapy + radiotherapy group and chemotherapy-alone group all had worse prognosis ( HR 1.726, 95% CI 0.944-3.157; HR 1.605, 95% CI 0.968-2.661; HR 5.632, 95% CI 3.143-10.093, P<0.05) than chemotherapy + postoperative radiotherapy group, respectively. In addition, the patients whose age ≤60 years old and tumor diameter<4 cm had a worse prognosis compared to those older than 60 years old ( HR 7.868, 95% CI 3.032-20.415; HR 1.465, 95% CI 1.006-2.435, P<0.05)and tumor diameter≥4 cm ( HR 2.576, 95% CI 1.056-6.287; HR 1.965, 95% CI 1.026-3.766, P<0.05). Conclusions:Chemotherapy combined with postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy can′t improve the OS of patients with early (Ⅰ-Ⅱ A) SCNEC, but can significantly improve the OS of advanced (Ⅱ B-Ⅳ) patients. Age, tumor size and treatment regimens are independent risk factors.