Efficacy of local salvage therapy for recurrent uterine cervical cancer after definitive radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of patients with recurrence of uterine cervical cancer after definitive radiotherapy and the efficacy of local salvage therapy for recurrence were evaluated.
METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 110 patients who were treated with definitive radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy for uterine cervical cancer between 2008 and 2017 at our institution. Local salvage therapy was defined as any surgery or radiotherapy described in the medical record as intended for local control or cure.
RESULTS: We identified 25 patients who developed recurrence after definitive radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy. The median follow-up time post-recurrence was 18.9 months. Thirteen patients (52%) reported recurrence in the isolated extra-pelvic lymph node (EPLN). The 2-year overall survival after first recurrence (OSr) for patients with isolated EPLN recurrence was 83.1%, compared to that of 31.2% for patients with other patterns of recurrence (p < 0.001). The 2-year OSr for patients who underwent local salvage therapy was 75.2%, whereas that for patients who did not undergo therapy was 41.6% (p = 0.04). Among patients who had recurrence in the isolated EPLN and received local salvage therapy, 20% of the patients reported recurrence in visceral and/or bone metastases after local salvage therapy, and 50% of the patients experienced another EPLN recurrence, which was salvaged with repeating local therapy.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with uterine cervical cancer with isolated EPLN recurrence had favorable prognoses. The indications of local salvage therapy should be considered, especially for patients with isolated EPLN recurrence.