Pelvic insufficiency fracture after pelvic irradiation in uterine cervix cancer

OBJECTIVES: Pelvic insufficiency fractures (IF) are well known but uncommon and are frequently misinterpreted sequelae. The clinical features were investigated. METHODS: Four hundred sixty-three patients, who were treated between 1994 and 2000 for uterine cervix cancer, were clinically examined. All patients had been treated with 10 or 15 MV photons, with 50.4-55.8 Gy in 28 fractions with adjuvant intent (n = 235) in addition to high-dose-rate brachytherapy 24 Gy in 6 fractions for curative treatment (n = 228). The median follow-up was 38 months. RESULTS: Eight patients (8/463, 1.7%) developed pelvic IF 7-19 months (median, 12 months) after the treatment. Among these, seven patients (7/228, 3.1%) were treated with curative intent and one (1/235, 0.4%) was treated with adjuvant intent. All patients were postmenopausal and complained of moderate to severe pelvic pain, which resolved after 1-11 months with conservative therapy in all patients. Two of these patients also had radiation proctitis. CONCLUSION: In women who present with pelvic pain after radiotherapy for cervical cancer, bony destruction and fractures may be indicative of a late radiation effect rather than osseous metastasis. IF are more common in the curative treatment group than in the postoperative adjuvant group.