Background: Recurrent gynecologic cancers are often difficult to manage without significant morbidity. We conducted a phase II study to assess the safety and the efficacy of ablative robotic stereotactic body radiosurgery (SBRT) in women with metastatic gynecologic cancers. Methods: A total of 50 patients with recurrent gynecologic cancer who had single or multiple (≤4) metastases underwent robotic-armed Cyberknife SBRT (24Gy/3 daily doses). Toxicities were graded prospectively by common toxicity criteria for adverse events (version 4.0). SBRT target responses were recorded following RECIST criteria (version 1.0). Rates of clinical benefit for SBRT and non-radiosurgical disease relapse were calculated. Disease-free and overall survivals were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to control for prognostic variables. Findings: SBRT was safely delivered, with 49 (98%) of 50 patients completing three prescribed fractions. The most frequent grade 2 or higher adverse events attributed to SBRT included fatigue (16%), nausea (8%), and diarrhea (4%). One (2%) grade four hyperbilirubinemia occurred. SBRT target response was 96% (48 of 50 patients). A 6-month clinical benefit was recorded in 34 [68% (95% CI, 53.2, 80.1)] patients. No SBRT targeted disease progressed. Non-radiosurgical disease relapse occurred in 31 (62%) patients. Median disease-free survival was 7.8 months (95% CI, 4.0, 11.6). Median overall survival was 20.2 months (95% CI, 10.9, 29.5). Interpretation: SBRT safely controlled metastatic gynecologic cancer targets. Given an observed high rate of non-radiosurgical disease relapse, a phase I trial assessing co-administration of SBRT and cytotoxic chemotherapy is underway. Funding: Case Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Objective
Cervical and vaginal cancers have virally-mediated or mutated defects in DNA damage repair responses, making these cancers sensible targets for ribonucleotide reductase inhibition during radiochemotherapy.
Methods
We conducted a phase II study evaluating 3x weekly 2-hour intravenous 3-aminopyridine-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (3-AP, 25 mg/m2) co-administered with 1x weekly intravenous cisplatin (40 mg/m2) and daily pelvic radiation (45 Gy) in women with stage IB2-IVB cervical (n = 22) or stage II-IV vaginal (n = 3) cancers. Brachytherapy followed (40 Gy). Toxicity was monitored by common terminology criteria for adverse events (version 3.0). The primary end point of response was assessed by 3-month posttherapy 2-[18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (PET/CT) and clinical examination.
Results
3-AP radiochemotherapy achieved clinical responses in 24 (96% [95% confidence interval: 80-99%]) of 25 patients (median follow-up 20 months, range 2-35 months). 23 (96% [95% confidence interval: 80-99%]) of 24 patients had 3-month posttherapy PET/CT scans that recorded metabolic activity in the cervix or vagina equal or less than that of the cardiac blood pool, suggesting complete metabolic responses. The most frequent 3-AP radiochemotherapy-related adverse events included fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and reversible hematological and electrolyte abnormalities.
Conclusions
The addition of 3-AP to cisplatin radiochemotherapy was tolerable and produced high rates of clinical and metabolic responses in women with cervical and vaginal cancers. Future randomized phase II and III clinical trials of 3-AP radiochemotherapy are warranted.
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