Pattern of Care and Pattern of Survival Study in ca Cervix: Implications of a Published Study

Abstract

This article is being written in the context of the recently published multi-institutional study of POSCC for patients of cervical cancer in India. This study involves both private and public funded institutions and has hospitals from most parts of the country. This study is of utmost relevance in current day India, since India alone accounts for one-fourth of the total burden of disease. Stage I cervical cancer has a fairly good five-year survival of around 80–95 % no matter the mode of treatment chosen. At the other end of the spectrum, 4b has very poor survival rates.  The stages in between, II to IVA constitute the major bulk of cancer burden, and are most susceptible to change from treatment variation. As far as the practicing oncologist is concerned, it is knowledge of treatment effects in these patients that make significant difference in overall survival of cervical cancer patients. In this study, over the period of three years, 30% patients in the locally advanced group failed to receive optimal RT. However, no difference in FCS (five year cumulative survival) was observed based purely on optimal dosing of RT. Instead, the study made the observation that the addition of cisplatin to RT (irrespective of the dose of RT) in an optimal dosing (150–200 mg total) was a significant game changer for survival. These conclusions on CT and RT are of utmost significance in suburban and rural India, where patients have to travel long distances to receive RT doses and RT delivery systems are restricted.

Keywords: Concurrent chemo-RT, Ca cervix in India, optimal RT

Cite this Article

Vijaykumar DK, Shruthi Shivdas. Pattern of care and pattern of survival study in ca cervix: implications of a published study. Research and Reviews: Journal of Oncology and Hematology. 2015; 4(3): 14–18p.