According to a study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics, researchers found that radiotherapy in combination with paclitaxel is effective for the treatment of patients with high-risk endometrial cancer following surgery.
In the phase 2 study, researchers enrolled 57 patients from 2006 to 2008 with stage 3 or 4 treatment-naive endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Researchers initiated the combination therapy 6 weeks after surgery with radiation therapy starting either 2 days before or after the first paclitaxel treatment.
At the 5-year follow-up, patients had an average disease-free survival rate of 63.5% (95% CI) and an overall survival rate of 82.7% (95% CI). Researchers also observed diseased recurrence in 36.5% of patients and 17.3% had died due to endometrial cancer. Common adverse effects were leukopenia and neutropenia, as expected with paclitaxel therapy. Chemotherapy was only discontinued in two patients due to adverse effects.
Researchers suggest that this study demonstrates that patients with advanced endometrial cancer should be treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but further larger studies should be conducted to prove this treatment approach.
Radiotherapy in combination with paclitaxel effective for the treatment of endometrial cancer.
Radiation therapy with concurrent paclitaxel chemotherapy following surgery is an effective treatment for patients with high-risk endometrial cancer, according to a study published in the September 1, 2014 edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy. Patients with early-stage disease are typically treated with surgery alone; however, patients with advanced endometrial cancer have higher instances of local or distant recurrence.
From Newswise
