Publication:

Comparison of outcome of interdigitated versus sequential brachytherapy along with concurrent chemoradiation in locally advanced carcinoma cervix

Background Carcinoma cervix is a significant health concern, particularly in lower socioeconomic groups. The effectiveness of interdigitated versus sequential brachytherapy, both with concurrent chemoradiation, in treating this condition remains underexplored.

Methods This quasi-experimental study at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital enrolled 63 patients with biopsy-proven squamous cell cervical cancer. They were randomly divided into two arms: arm a received pelvic EBRT 50 Gy in 25 fractions, followed by HDR brachytherapy (7 Gy weekly × 3 weeks) starting after 30 Gy of EBRT; arm B received the same pelvic EBRT, followed by HDR brachytherapy (7 Gy weekly × 3 weeks) starting a week after the completion of EBRT.

Results Mean age was 47.82±8.45 years (range: 29-64 years). The mean OTT was significantly reduced in arm-A (36.58 days) compared to arm-B (59.5 days). In terms of treatment response, 90.32% of patients in arm-A and 78.12% in arm-B experienced a complete response.

Conclusions Interdigitated brachytherapy with concurrent chemoradiation significantly reduces treatment time without compromising treatment effectiveness. Despite a shorter treatment duration, the complete response rate was slightly higher in the interdigitated arm.