Therapeutic Results of Postoperative Radiation Therapy for Early Stage Uterine cervical Cancer

Kang, Seung Hee; Suh, Hyun Suk

Abstract

This is a retrospective analysis of 67 patients with histologically proven invasive carcinoma of uterine cervix treated with surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy at Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital between october 1983 and september 1991. Postoperative radiotherapy was carried out in patients with high risks of locoregional recurrence such as positive pelvic lymph node (38 pts), large tumor size more than 3 cm (22 pts), cervical stromal invasion more than 2/3 (46 pts), parametrial involvement (9 pts), positive resection margin (147ts), endo/myometrial extension (10 pts), and angiolymphatic invasion (13 pts). Stage IA, IB, and IIA were 2(3%), 39(58.2%), and 26(38.8%), respectively. Median follow-up period was 48 months with ranges from 13 to 115 months. All 67 patients were treated externally with standard pelvic field with radiation dose ranging from 4080 to 6120 cGy in 4~6 weeks period of time. Of these, 45 patients received intracavitary radiotherapy. The overall survival rate and disease free survival rate at 5-year were 88.0% and 82.1%, respectively. The survival rates by stage were 87.l% in IB and 88.4% in IIA. Local control rate was 86.6%(58 pts). The treatment failure was noted in 12 of 67 Patients(17.9%): locoregional failure in 7(10.4%), distant metastasis in 3(4.5%), and locoregional and distant metastasis in 2 (3%). The univariate analysis of prognostic factors disclosed endo/myometrial extension as a significant factor of survival and recurrence (70.0% vs 91.l% P< 0.05 & 30.0% vs 15.8%, respectively). The complication of postoperative radiothrapy was not significant and all patient were well tolerated. In conclusion, postoperative radiotherapy in patients with high risks of locoreginal recurrence is relatively well tolerated and it gives significantly improved survival rate especially in patients with positive lymph nodes, bulky tumor size( 3 cm), parametrial involvement, cervical stromal invasion more than 2/3, positive resection margin and angiolymphatic invasion.