Decoding the influence of external beam radiotherapy to brachytherapy duration and overall treatment on response and early recurrences in cervical cancer patients treated with chemoradiation

Purpose: Cervical cancer is a significant global health issue affecting approximately 600,000 women each year. This study aimed to address the knowledge gaps surrounding the influence of treatment time parameters, including the duration of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to brachytherapy and overall treatment duration, on early recurrences. Materials and Methods: Details on demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment details, and outcomes in patients undergoing chemoradiation and brachytherapy for cervical cancer were collected from the medical records. Early recurrence was defined as tumor reappearance within 6 months after treatment in patients with an initial complete response. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics chi-square tests, independent t-tests, and logistic regression. Results: A total of 288 cervical cancer patients were included. Stage IIB was the most common stage and 93% of patients had a complete response, 4.5% partial response, and 3.1% had progressive disease at 3rd month. At 6 months, 8% experienced early. The average interval between EBRT and brachytherapy was 10.4 ± 4.2 days among the no recurrence group and 12.3 ± 4.5 days among early recurrence group. A total of 203 patients had a gap of 10 or fewer days and 123 patients had a gap of more than 10 days between EBRT and brachytherapy. Difference was observed in the overall treatment time between the two groups had significant differences (no recurrence group, 61.6 ± 11.5 days; early recurrence group, 73.8 ± 8.8 days; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study revealed that longer overall treatment durations were associated with a higher risk of early recurrences, highlighting the need for further investigation and optimized treatment strategies.