Is 3D printing-gided three-dimensional brachytherapy suitable for cervical cancer: from one single research institute?

Objective: To investigate the guidance value of 3D printing in brachytherapy for cervical cancer and its role in the doctor-patient communication. Results: The median follow-up time was 36 months (10-63); 3D models of 50 patients with cervical cancer were successfully printed out. Fifty patients underwent 255 times the source applicator. EQD 2 of HR-CTV D90, bladder D2cc, sigmoid colon D2cc, and rectal D2cc were 75.26 ± 6.31, 67.84 ± 8.75, 47.36 ± 7.62, and 62.45 ± 8.68 Gy, respectively, and the overall score of the verisimilitude and usefulness of 3D printing models by five doctors was 8.0 ± 0.8 points. The score of patients’ satisfaction to the use of 3D printing model for operation communication was 9.0 ± 0.5 points. During three months of follow-up, two patients were with rectal hemorrhage in later period (level 2), and the symptoms were improved after hemostasis, enema and other symptomatic treatments. Three-year local control (LC) was 92% (46/50), three-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 82% (41/50), and three-year overall survival (OS) was 84%. Three-year late toxic and side effects mainly include radiation proctitis, radiation urethritis, and vaginitis, and their level 3 incidence rates were: radiation gastroenteritis 10%, radiation urethritis 6%, and radiation vaginitis l: 8%, respectively. Conclusion: 3D printing model can well display relationship with the surrounding normal tissues and effectively guide doctors to conduct individualized brachytherapy for cervical cancer. It can also be used as a tool to communicate with patients, render doctor-patient communication more effective, and obtain a good curative effect and less toxic and adverse effects, which is worth further clinical practice.

3D-printing; Cervical cancer; Brachytherapy

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