The trail of the development of high-dose-rate brachytherapy for cervical cancer in Japan

The differences in radiotherapeutic treatment systems for cervical cancer between the United States and Japan can be attributed either to the tolerance of high-risk organs, or dosimetry itself. High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is the standard treatment for uterine cervix carcinoma in Japan. In addition, HDR Co-60 afterloading machines have been gradually replaced with Ir-192 micro-source afterloading machines during the past ten years. This implies that it has now become impossible to conduct a prospective comparative study of HDR versus low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy for cervical cancer in Japan. An examination of the history of HDR intracavitary radiotherapy for uterine cervix carcinoma in Japan led us to the conclusion that HDR intracavitary brachytherapy for the treatment of cervical cancer is as effective as LDR intracavitary brachytherapy in terms of both survival and complications. In Japan, studies on the former can be drawn from a long experience of more than 35 years.