The American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) consensus guidance for hybrid intracavitary interstitial brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this consensus statement from the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) is to summarize important considerations for adding interstitial needles to intracavitary implants for cervix cancer brachytherapy.

Methods: A panel of experts in Gynecologic Brachytherapy, including both physicians and physicists completed surveys and met virtually on multiple occasions to discuss and define current practices and approaches in order to summarize these for the ABS community. This document was drafted, reviewed and approved by the full panel and the ABS Board of Directors.

Results: Hybrid brachytherapy is increasingly being utilized in cervix brachytherapy. In incorporating supplementary interstitial needles there are numerous key considerations including resources for an emergency, planning considerations, applicator selection, and pre-, intra- and postprocedural imaging. Additionally, approaches to challenging cases that would often benefit from a hybrid approach are discussed.

Conclusions: While hybrid brachytherapy offers dosimetric advantages for cervix brachytherapy, it increases procedure complexity. Being aware of the necessary resources and defining considerations can help mitigate some of the challenges and improve procedural success.

Keywords: Brachytherapy; Cervix cancer; Hybrid; Interstitial.