American Brachytherapy Society consensus guidelines for adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy after hysterectomy

Abstract

Purpose: To develop recommendations for the use of adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy after hysterectomy and update previous American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) guidelines.

Methods and materials: A panel of members of the ABS performed a literature review, supplemented their clinical experience, and formulated recommendations for adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy.

Results: The ABS endorses the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for indications for radiation therapy for patients with endometrial cancer and cervical cancer and the guidelines on quality assurance of the American Association on Physicists in Medicine. The ABS made specific recommendations for applicator selection, insertion techniques, target volume definition, dose fractionation, and specifications for postoperative adjuvant vaginal cuff therapy. The ABS recommends that applicator selection should be based on patient anatomy, target volume geometry, and physician judgment. The dose prescription point should be clearly specified. Suggested doses were tabulated for treatment with brachytherapy alone, and in combination with external beam radiation therapy, when applicable. A properly fitted brachytherapy applicator should be selected that conforms to the vaginal apex and achieves mucosal contact with optimal tumor and normal tissue dosimetry. Dose prescription points may be individually selected but doses should be reported at the vaginal surface and at 0.5-cm depth.

Conclusions: Recommendations are made for adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy. Practitioners and cooperative groups are encouraged to use these recommendations to formulate their treatment and dose reporting policies. These recommendations will permit meaningful comparisons of reports from different institutions and lead to better and more appropriate use of vaginal brachytherapy.