Experts Meeting on Gynecologic Oncology May 19-21, 2016 San Antonio,Texas, USA

Richa Chauhan completed her MBBS from Nalanda Medical College and Hospital in 2003, Post-graduation course in Oncology and DNB (New Delhi) in Radiation Oncology. She has been working in Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, Patna since 2007 and has a special interest in gynaecological cancers.

Background: Cervical cancer has a major impact on the lives of Indian women with an estimated 122,844 new cases of cervical cancer in the year 2012, which accounted for 23% of all the cancers in females. Because of technical, financial and manpower constraints cervical cancer screening and early detection is not done routinely in India. So, around 80% of our patients come for treatment with a locally advanced stage of the disease. Further, it has been established that cervical cancer spreads in a progressive but predictable pattern and many patients with locally advanced carcinoma of cervix harbour para-aortic metastasis.\r\n Aim: This study was done to assess the prognostic factors in cervical cancer patients with para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastases.\r\nMaterial & Methods: This prospective single institution study included 30 cervical cancer patients with PALN, who were treated with extended field radiotherapy and concurrent weekly Cisplatin followed by high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, from February 2008 to January 2010 at Mahavir cancer Sansthan, Patna.\r\nResults: The 3 year disease free survival rate was found to be 46.66%. Distant metastasis was seen in 40% of the patients. Response to treatment at first follow-up was the most significant factor affecting survival. Other important factors were size of the PALN and number of chemo cycles taken. Age of the patient and number of lymph nodes involved did not show any affect on the prognosis.\r\nConclusion: To improve the prognosis of such patients surgical debulking of bulky nodes and adjuvant chemotherapy to decrease distant metastasis can be tried.\r\n