Definitive Brachytherapy in Inoperable Endometrial Cancer

Abstract

In elderly patients with medical comorbidities that increase perioperative risks, surgery cannot be performed, and definitive radiotherapy (RT) is a therapeutic option. Although staging for endometrial cancer is based on surgical findings, clinical and radiological imaging has not been standardized yet. For a radiological evaluation of inoperable endometrial cancer, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is preferred for local tumor infiltration, and positron emission tomography is accepted as the most accurate modality for assessing lymph node and distant metastases. External RT alone is inadequate, and intracavitary brachytherapy with or without external RT is recommended depending on the disease stage in patients with inoperable endometrial cancer. However, there is currently no standard treatment approach for patients with inoperable endometrial cancer. For patients with inoperable endometrial cancer treated with definitive RT, there are some problems including the RT technique, treatment volumes, and systemic treatment. Based on clinical practice, image-based brachytherapy using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging is highly recommended.