A retrospective review of conventional versus hypo-fractionated pelvic radiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer, in limited-resource countries: The Uganda experience

Background: Cervical cancer incidence in Uganda is 54.8 per 100 000 population. We annually treat over 800 new cervical cancers (40% of the workload), which is challenging to treat such numbers in limited resources settings. From July 2011, we commenced the use of hypo-fractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) of 45 Gy/15 fraction (#) as an alternative to conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) of 50 Gy/25#, for treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC).Aim: To compare the 5-year follow-up treatment outcomes between CFRT and HFRT.Settings: The study analysed patients treated at the Uganda Cancer Institute – a limited resource institution.Methods: This was a non-randomised, retrospective study, where 414 patients’ files were reviewed according to demographic, clinical, radiotherapy fractionations and outcomes. Inclusion criteria were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages IIB–IIIB cervical cancer cases and had completed external beam radiotherapy and intracavitary radiotherapy.Results: Squamous cell carcinomas were 93.6% and adenocarcinomas were 3.0%. The median age was 49.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 40.0–56.0) years. Stages IIB/IIIA/IIIB were 36.2%, 8.2%, 55.6%, respectively. Human immunodeficiency virus serology was positive, negative, and unknown in 70 (16.9%), 116 (28.0%) and 228 (55.1%), respectively. Concurrent chemo-radiation was administered in 182 (44.0%) patients. Conventional fractionated radiotherapy and HFRT were 221 (53.4%) and 193 (46.6%), respectively. At 6 months, the overall response rate was 73.3% for CFRT compared with 67.6% for HFRT (p = 0.085), whilst the grades 0–1 toxicities were 94.5% and for 94.7% CFRT and HFRT, respectively (p = 0.080). At 60 months, the survival probabilities were 44.9% for CFRT and 46.6% for HFRT (p = 0.293).Conclusion: There is no significant statistical difference between CFRT and HFRT for the treatment of LACC. The HFRT could be considered for high volume limited resource settings.