Comparison of "sandwich chemo-radiotherapy" and six cycles of chemotherapy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with stage IIIC endometrial cancer: a single center experience

To compare "sandwich chemo-radiotherapy" with six cycles of chemotherapy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy with respect to tolerability and acute toxicity. Twenty-five women with surgically staged IIIC endometrial cancer were included. Treatment consisted of either three cycles of paclitaxel (175 mg/mA(2)) and carboplatin (AUC 6) on a q21-day schedule followed by irradiation (45-50.4 Gy) or six cycles of the same chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. Acute toxicity related to either chemotherapy or radiotherapy was evaluated. Median age was 61.5 years (range 36-83 years). Eleven patients had sandwich chemo-radiotherapy, and the other 14 patients had 6 cycles of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. Three out of the five patients who could not complete all the cycles in the sandwich chemo-radiotherapy group had pelvic and para-aortic radiotherapy. Acute radiotherapy related grade 1-2 gastrointestinal system (GIS) and genitourinary system (GUS) toxicities were observed in 72.8 and 63.6 % of patients, respectively, for sandwich group. Undesired treatment breaks in the course of radiotherapy were observed in six patients for sandwich chemo-radiotherapy and in one patient receiving six cycles of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. All the patients who had undesired treatment breaks in the sandwich chemo-radiotherapy group had pelvic and para-aortic radiotherapy. Sandwich chemo-radiotherapy seems to be more toxic particularly for patients who had pelvic and para-aortic irradiation. Therefore, it might be more convenient to delay radiotherapy after six cycles of chemotherapy for patients with the indication of pelvic para-aortic radiotherapy.