Analysis of prognostic factors and therapeutic patterns of recurrent stage Ⅰb-Ⅱa cervical squamous carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the prognosis and appropriate treatment modalities of the patients with recurrence of early stage (Ⅰb-Ⅱa) cervical squamous cancer primarily treated with radical hysterectomy. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage Ⅰb and Ⅱa recurrent cervical squamous cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy primarily from January 2007 to July 2015. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were performed to analyze related prognostic factors of overall survival and progression-free survival, which included age, postoperative therapy, the site of recurrence, therapy-free interval (TFI) and treatment modality. The patients who were treated with palliative chemotherapy after recurrence were selected as a subgroup. The responses of palliative chemotherapy were evaluated and analyzed among different factors, included TFI, the site of recurrence and chemotherapy regime. Results: Of the 2 071 patients, 116 relapsed Ⅰb-Ⅱa cervical squamous cancer were included in the study with the average age of (45.6±7.2) years old. 3-year progression-free survival rate and 3-year overall survival rate after recurrence were 30.2% and 42.2%, respectively. Univariate analysis implied that postoperative radiotherapy, recurrence site, TFI and treatment modality were associated with progression-free survival (P<0.05), while postoperative radiotherapy, TFI and treatment modality with overall survival (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that TFI and treatment modality were independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival (P<0.05), while postoperative radiotherapy at initial treatment, TFI and treatment modality were independent prognostic variables for overall survival (P<0.05). In the analysis of treatment modality, 3-year progression-free survival rate and 3-year overall survival rate of 47 patients who were treated with definitive local therapy were significantly higher than that of 69 patients who were treated with palliative chemotherapy (P<0.01). In the subgroup analysis of palliative chemotherapy, 15 patients achieved complete response (21.7%) and 16 displayed partial response (23.2%). The overall response rate (ORR) was 44.9%. TFI (P<0.01) and chemotherapy regime (P<0.05) were significant factors associated with ORR. The ORR of TFI ≥12 months was significantly higher than that of TFI <12 months. Besides, the ORR of paclitaxel plus platinum chemotherapy was prominently higher than that of other regimens, while there was no significant difference between the ORR of paclitaxel plus cisplatin and other platinum (P=0.408). Conclusions: For recurrent stageⅠb-Ⅱa cervical squamous carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy, use of definitive local therapy for suitable patients is advised to achieve better prognosis. In terms of palliative chemotherapy, longer TFI may mean better ORR and the combination of paclitaxel plus platinum is preferred.