Radioactive colloidal gold in the treatment of endometrial cancer: Mayo Clinic experience, 1952-1976

A review of 1670 patients with endometrial cancer who were treated between 1952 and 1976 revealed that 15 patients had received radioactive colloidal gold as an adjunct to surgery. Most of the patients had follow-up more than ten years, and all had microscopic tumor contamination of the peritoneal cavity. Of the 15 patients, 13 had biopsy of peritoneal metastases and underwent resection of gross metastatic lesions that were more than 2 mm in diameter. The other two patients had direct extension of the tumor through the uterus into the peritoneal cavity without visible metastasis. The radiogold was inserted from 4-37 days after the initial surgical procedure. The dosage ranged from 100-140 mCi. At follow-up, from 11 years seven months to 24 years two months after treatment, seven patients were alive without evidence of disease. Three died of intercurrent disease, 16 years, and 14 years, and 14 years two months after treatment. Five patients died of cancer, two with local recurrence and three with distant metastases to lung or bone