Vaginal irradiation of patients with low risk endometrial carcinomas

During 1994 we have treated 193 cases of endometrial carcinomas. Altogether 101 had endometrial carcinomas stage IA and IB and 78 of them had adenocarcinomas with or without metaplasia which were moderately or well differentiated. All tumors were diploid. The patients had primary hysterectomy with bilateral SOE followed by irradiation to the vagina by intracavitary technique. The treatment was performed either by high dose rate irradiation (HDR) or low dose rate irradiation (LDR). The target was the upper 2/3-rd of the vagina and the reference dose was calculated along an isodose at 0,5 cm distance from the surface of the perspex applicator in the vagina. In order to obtain the same radiobiological dose for HDR and LDR the L-Q-formula was employed. None of the patients observed for more than one year treated with HDR has had any vaginal metastasis Conclusion: HDR may replace LDR in the postoperative vaginal irradiation of patients with low risk endometrial carcinoma