Patients in the IMRT arm experienced significantly fewer bowel-related toxicities than patients who received standard RT did, as indicated by smaller average declines in their EPIC bowel domain scores (-18.6 vs. -23.6, p = 0.048). Analysis of sub-scales within the EPIC determined that IMRT patients experienced less severe declines in bowel function but not bowel bother.

IMRT patients also experienced fewer high-level adverse events following treatment, including less diarrhea (frequency: 33.7 vs. 51.9 percent, p = 0.01) and fecal incontinence (frequency: 1.1 vs. 9.3, p = 0.01). Moreover, roughly one in five women in the standard RT group (20.4 percent) reported taking four or more anti-diarrheal medications daily, compared to 7.8 percent of women in the IMRT group (p = 0.04).


Urinary side effects at five weeks from treatment start were less prevalent among patients who received IMRT, as indicated by significantly smaller declines in average EPIC urinary domain scores for the IMRT arm (-5.6 vs. -10.4, p = 0.03). Furthermore, IMRT regime negatively impacted patients' QOL less substantially than the conventional RT regime did. FACT-Cx trial outcome index scores demonstrated less decline in health-related QOL following IMRT compared to standard RT (-8.8 vs. -12.8, p = 0.06). Patients treated with IMRT had less change in physical well-being (-4.2 vs. -6.1, p = 0.03) and addition concerns (-2.7 vs. -4.9, p = 0.01).

"Many radiation oncologists already use IMRT for women undergoing pelvic radiation, but this research provides data that using IMRT, which is a more resource intensive treatment, makes a real difference to patients receiving radiation therapy to the pelvic area," said Dr. Klopp. "When performed by an experienced radiation oncology team, IMRT reduces the risk of short-term bowel and bladder side effects for patients with endometrial and cervical cancer."

The abstract, "A Phase III Randomized Trial Comparing Patient Reported Toxicity and Quality of Life (QOL) During Pelvic IMRT as Compared to Conventional RT," will be presented in detail during the plenary session at ASTRO's 58th Annual Meeting at 2:15 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, September 26, 2016. To speak with Dr. Klopp or obtain a copy of the study abstract, please contact ASTRO's media relations team on-site at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center September 25 through 28, by phone at 703-286-1600 or by email at press@astro.org.


ABOUT ASTRO'S ANNUAL MEETING
ASTRO's 58th Annual Meeting, the nation's premier scientific meeting in radiation oncology, will be held September 25-28, 2016, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston. The 2016 Annual Meeting is expected to attract more than 11,000 attendees from across the globe, including oncologists from all disciplines and members of the entire radiation oncology team. Led by ASTRO president David C. Beyer, MD, FASTRO, the 2016 meeting will feature keynote addresses from Kathleen Sebelius, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; Thomas James Lynch Jr., MD, Chair and CEO, Massachusetts General Physicians Organization; and Jason Ragogna, general manager, SMS and Safety Alliances, Corporate Safety, Security, and Compliance, Delta Air Lines, Inc. The Presidential Symposium, "Prostate Cancer: Defining Value and Delivering It," highlights the meeting's theme of "Enhancing Value, Improving Outcomes" and will feature recent practice-changing studies and current developments in value-based care for prostate cancer. ASTRO's four-day scientific meeting will feature a record number of abstracts, including 368 oral presentations, 1,760 posters and 180 digital posters in more than 50 educational sessions and 20 scientific panels for 20 disease-site tracks. For more information about ASTRO's 58th Annual Meeting, visit www.astro.org/AnnualMeeting. For press registration and news briefing information for ASTRO's 58th Annual Meeting, visit www.astro.org/AMPress.

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