Abstract
Purpose: The integral results of clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer may provide prognostic information that cannot readily be placed in current staging systems, such as proximal versus distal parametrial invasion, unilateral versus bilateral involvement, or organ infiltration on MRI. The aim was to develop and investigate the performance of a simple but comprehensive tumor score for reporting and prognostication.
Methods and Materials: In the present study, 400 consecutive patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated 2005 to 2018 with chemoradiation and image guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) were analyzed. The diagnostic workup included clinical examination, positron emission tomography/computed tomography, and MRI. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2009 stage distribution was IB to IIA 9%, IIB 61%, and III to IV 30%. Involvement of 8 anatomic locations (cervix, left parametrium, right parametrium, vagina, bladder, ureter, rectum, and uterine corpus) was scored according to a ranked ordinal scale with 0 to 3 points. The total sum of points constituted the tumor score (T-score).
Results: The median T-score was 6 (range, 0-20). Based on the frequency distribution of the T-score, 4 equally sized groups were formed: 0 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 9, and >9 points. The T-score grouping was highly significant in both univariate and multivariable analysis and outperformed International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage for both survival and local control enabling also intrastage prognostication. Used as a linear variable, the T-score was correlated with IGABT target volume (high-risk clinical target volume, CTVHR), use of interstitial needles, dose (D90 of CTVHR), and total reference air kerma.
Conclusions: The T-score is a simple instrument for combining clinical findings and imaging into a powerful prognostic factor for survival and local control with capabilities surpassing traditional staging. In addition, the T-score may already at diagnosis predict essential IGABT parameters and may be used for audit and comparison of results in multicenter settings.
Lindegaard, Jacob Christian