Radiat Oncol J.  2012 Mar;30(1):20-26. 10.3857/roj.2012.30.1.20.

Treatment outcome in patients with vulvar cancer: comparison of concurrent radiotherapy to postoperative radiotherapy

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea. kimandre@catholic.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate outcome and morbidity in patients with vulvar cancer treated with radiotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy or postoperative radiotherapy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The records of 24 patients treated with radiotherapy for vulvar cancer between July 1993 and September 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received once daily 1.8-4 Gy fractions external beam radiotherapy to median 51.2 Gy (range, 19.8 to 81.6 Gy) on pelvis and inguinal nodes. Seven patients were treated with primary concurrent chemoradiotherapy, one patient was treated with primary radiotherapy alone, four patients received palliative radiotherapy, and twelve patients were treated with postoperative radiotherapy.
RESULTS
Twenty patients were eligible for response evaluation. Response rate was 55% (11/20). The 5-year disease free survival was 42.2% and 5-year overall survival was 46.2%, respectively. Fifty percent (12/24) experienced with acute skin complications of grade III or more during radiotherapy. Late complications were found in 8 patients. 50% (6/12) of patients treated with lymph node dissection experienced severe late complications. One patient died of sepsis from lymphedema. However, only 16.6% (2/12) of patients treated with primary radiotherapy developed late complications.
CONCLUSION
Outcome of patients with vulvar cancer treated with radiotherapy showed relatively good local control and low recurrence. Severe late toxicities remained higher in patients treated with both node dissection and radiotherapy.

Keyword

Vulvar neoplasms; Squamous cell carcinoma; Paget's disease; Postoperative radiotherapy; Concurrent chemoradiotherapy

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Chemoradiotherapy
Disease-Free Survival
Humans
Lymph Node Excision
Lymphedema
Pelvis
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Sepsis
Skin
Treatment Outcome
Vulvar Neoplasms
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