Treatment planning for carcinoma of the cervix: a patterns of care study report.

PURPOSE: The Patterns of Care Study (PCS) of patients treated in 1988-89 included "patterns of treatment planning" for radiotherapy of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. A Consensus Committee of radiation physicists and oncologists established current guidelines and developed questionnaires to assess the treatment planning process (i.e., the general structure, methodology, and tools) of institutions involved in the Patterns of Care Study. This paper reports the findings of the assessment. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The PCS surveyed 73 radiotherapy facilities, of which 21 are academic institutions (AC), 26 hospital-based facilities (HB), and 26 free-standing centers (FS). In total, 242 cases were assessed with 39% from academic centers, 33% from hospital-based centers, and 28% from free-standing centers. The survey collected treatment planning information such as the use of computed tomography (CT), simulation procedure, contouring of patient outline, tumor or target delineation, identification of critical structures, method of dose prescription (point or isodose), etc. Data was also obtained concerning implant boosts, e.g., radioisotope used, use of midline block for external beam treatment, availability of remote afterloader, practice of interstitial implants, combination with hyperthermia, etc. RESULTS: There is a high degree of compliance relative to the basic treatment planning standards. For example, 171 cases (out of 173) from AC and HB institutions included simulation and 169 used port film; for cases from FS centers, 61 out of 69 involved simulation and 66 out of 69 included port film. Most institutions used linacs (231 out of 242); in five cases, Co-60 units and in six cases betatron was used. In terms of treatment planning, 53% used skin contours, but only 14% had target volume delineation, with AC and HB being slightly more conscientious in these efforts. Critical organs did not appear to be explicitly considered in external beam treatment planning, with only 3% outlining the bladder, 5% the rectum, and less than 1% the small bowel. Only 11% of the centers used CT in treatment planning, and none reported the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For patients receiving implants, about 40% had midline blocking during external beam treatment, of which one out of three were shielded by standard blocks and two out of three with customized ones. About 11% of the patients receiving implants were treated with remote afterloading devices, 5% received interstitial implants, and none were treated in combination with hyperthermia. CONCLUSION: The treatment planning aspects of radiotherapy of carcinoma of the cervix have been established by this Patterns of Care Study Survey. There is a high level of uniformity in the approach. Some variations exist among centers in the different strata.

Carcinoma of the cervix: patterns of care studies: review of 1978, 1983, and 1988-1989 surveys.

PURPOSE: A review of the Patterns of Care Studies Process Survey data on carcinoma of the cervix conducted on patients in 1978, 1983, and 1988-89 was carried out to identify changes or trends in the demographics, evaluation, and treatment that might have occurred over this time period. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patterns of Care Studies conducted surveys on patients treated by radiation therapy for cervical carcinoma in 1978, 1983, and 1988-89. These surveys have compiled demographic and treatment data on a total of 993 patients. There is outcome data for the 1978 and 1983 surveys, but not for the 1988-89 survey because follow-up has not been collected yet. The demographic and treatment delivery data on all three surveys has been reviewed and analyzed and is the subject of this study. RESULTS: There was no difference in the age distribution at the time of diagnosis of the patients in these surveys. The percentage of black patients remained constant in the three surveys, 19%, 17%, and 21%, respectively. The percentage of white patients was 76%, 78%, and 67%, but that of nonwhite/nonblack patients was 3%, 4%, and 12% (p < 0.001). The distribution of patients by stage was similar in the first two surveys. In the third survey, there was a decrease in the percentage of patients with Stage IA and IB (first = 35%; second = 38%; third = 29%) with a concurrent increase in Stage IIIA and IIIB patients (first = 20%; second = 18%; third = 26%). The surveys showed a major change in the pretreatment evaluation tests used. There was a progressive decrease in the use of intravenous pyelogram (IVP) (86 to 42%), barium enema (58 to 32%), cystoscopy for patients Stage IIB and higher (64 to 52%), and lymphangiography (18 to 14%). The use of abdominal or pelvic computed tomography dramatically increased from 6 to 70% between the first and third surveys. The use of 60Co units decreased from 35 to 2% from the first to the third survey [6 to 0% for short source-surface distance (SSD) 60Co units]. Point dose calculations for the intracavitary therapy increased from 78% in the 1978 survey to 95% in the third survey. As determined by the total dose delivered to the paracentral points, more patients (75.1%) were treated according to the Patterns of Care recommended guidelines in the 1988-89 survey than in the 1983 survey (63.6%). Chemotherapy was given to 12% of the patients undergoing radiation therapy during the period of the third survey, but these data are not available for the first and second surveys. CONCLUSION: Review of the Carcinoma of the Cervix Patterns of Care studies discloses significant changes in the demographics, patient evaluation, and radiation therapy techniques during the period of the studies. The potential impact of these changes on treatment outcome cannot be determined at this time until longterm follow-up for the 1988-89 survey is available, but improvements in the processes of care should lead to improvements in outcome.

Long-term results of treatment of cervical carcinoma in the United States in 1973, 1978, and 1983: Patterns of Care Study (PCS).

PURPOSE: To extend the observations of patients with carcinoma of the cervix treated in 1973 for over 15 years, in 1978 for over 10 years, and in 1983 for over 5 years for survival and local control to compare treatment times and outcome. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A nationwide survey of the patterns of practice in radiation therapy for patients with squamous carcinoma of the cervix collected pretreatment and treatment data using external surveyors who reviewed patients' records. Outcome information was updated for the three separate databases by mail survey. Overall survival, no evidence of disease (NED) survival, and local control curves by stage were plotted using the estimates derived by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Total number of patients surveyed was 1686: 937 patients in 1973, 565 patients in 1978, and 184 patients in 1983. These are the results from changes in treatment policy, particularly the increasing use of brachytherapy. Of Stage III patients, the percentage receiving brachytherapy was 60.5% in 1973, 76.5% in 1978, and 87.9% in 1983 (p < 0.001 by linear trend test). Also, there was an increased proportion in use of higher energy for external pelvic irradiation during the more recent time period, e.g., 28% in the 1973 study, 60% in the 1978 study, and 87% in the 1983 study compared to the usage of cobalt-60 equipment. Comparison of results including overall survival, local control, and NED survival for the three different time periods showed improvement in outcome for Stage III in 1983, but not Stages I and II. The 5-year survival for Stage III increased from 25% in the 1973 survey to 47% in the 1983 survey, a linear trend that is statistically significant (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The long-term results of radiotherapy for patients with carcinoma of the cervix show improved outcome for Stage III patients, which probably results from improved treatment, including higher energy for pelvic irradiation and increase in use of brachytherapy contributing better local control and fewer complications.

Carcinoma of the breast.

In the present stage of our knowledge, it is evident that radiation therapy as a primry form of potentially curable treatment is a valid alternative to radical surgical extirpation. It offers women with early carcinoma of the breast the opportunity to avoid a serious cosmetic, functional and psychologic problem with no increased risk in terms of survival or local control of the neoplasm. The physician faced with such a patient need no longer believe that the woman who refuses mastectomy is automatically electing some inferior course. It is hoped that the demands of the modern American woman will force an appropriate clinical trial to define and evaluate fully the role of radiation therapy as definitive treatment in carcinoma of the breast. Until that occurs, we can do no less than knowledgeably assist patients un making their therapeutic decisions.