The International Journal of Radiation Oncology recently published a study titled Survival Benefit of Adjuvant Brachytherapy After Hysterectomy With Positive Surgical Margins in Cervical Cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the effects on survival rate in patients with cervical cancer after undergoing a combination of brachytherapy and external beam radiation treatment (EBRT). All of the patients involved in the study had previously had a hysterectomy with positive surgical margins.
From the abstract:
Logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of [brachytherapy] use and for propensity score matching. Survival was compared between patients receiving EBRT alone and those receiving EBRT combined with [brachytherapy] for adjuvant treatment.
In women with positive margins after hysterectomy for cervical cancer, the combination of EBRT and [brachytherapy] showed significantly improved overall survival compared with EBRT alone.
Out of the 1,719 patients studied, 778 (45.3%) of them received brachytherapy in addition to EBRT. Patients who received brachytherapy treatment resulted in an overall survival rate of 79.4 percent, with those who underwent EBRT alone resulted in a survival rate of 71.9 percent. The results of this study demonstrate the value of brachytherapy beyond prostate cancer treatment.
Treatment for recurring gynecologic cancers can be challenging, often involving radical surgery and very limited treatment options. The Cesium-131 isotope developed by Isoray Medical is an emerging treatment option for patients with recurrent gynecologic cancers due to its energy profile and 9.7 day half-life.
To learn more about how brachytherapy may improve outcomes for many types of cancer patients, contact customerservice@isoray.flywheelstaging.com.
