Vaginal dilator use more than 9 months is a main prognostic factor for reducing G2‑late vaginal complications in 3D‑vaginal‑cuff brachytherapy (interventional radiotherapy)?

Purpose: Analyse the impact of different prognostic factors on G2-late vaginal complications after vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) ± external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in postoperative endometrial cancer (PEC).
Methods: One hundred and twenty-six PEC patients treated with VBT ± EBRT were retrospectively analysed considering age, body mass index, applicator diameter, clinical target volume (CTV), use of dilators, chemotherapy and EQD2 _(α/β=3) at the most exposed 2 cm ³ of the CTV as prognostic factors for vaginal complications. Late vaginal complications were evaluated using objective LENT-SOMA criteria.
Statistics: descriptive analysis, Chi-square, Fisher and Student tests were applied. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the Baptista-Pike exact method and multiple logistic regression.
Results: Mean age was 65 years (SD ± 10), and median follow-up was 66 months (8-104). 19/126 patients (15%) showed G2-late vaginal complications, and 107/126 (85%) G0-G1. Univariate analysis showed: CTV ≤ 9 cm ³ (p = 0.036), use of dilators < 9 months (p = 0.015), and total ≥ 68 Gy EQD2 received by 2 cm ³ of CTV (p = 0.039) were associated with G2-late vaginal toxicity. Multivariate analysis showed the use of dilators < 9 months as an independent prognostic factor for G2-late vaginal toxicity (p = 0.043, OR 8.59, CI 1.59-159.9).
Conclusion: The use of dilators < 9 months in VBT ± EBRT for PEC was an independent prognostic factor for G2-late vaginal toxicity. The use of vaginal dilators ≥ 9 months requires further analysis in studies evaluating late vaginal toxicity.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)