The role of anaemia in the effectivity of radiation treatment of cancer of the collum uteri

The role of anaemia is studied in 129 patients with cancer of the collum uteri subjected to combined radiation treatment by comparing data on anaemia and five years survival rates. Since prognosis as well as incidence of anaemia depend on the extend of the disorder the comparison is done for each clinical stage separately. Only in patients found in clinical III b statistical verification (p<0.001) is present witnessing that survival of anaemia patients is shorter than in the rest of the patients. Factors contributing to these differences being discussed a conclusion is drawn that it may be due to a lowered effectivity of the radiation treatment induced by the existing hypoxy. With this regard the relationship is discussed between oxygen tissue diffusion, cellular proliferation of tumors and the effect of ionizing radiation. (author)