Radiation therapy of endometrial carcinoma

The results of radiotherapy in 63 patients with endometrial carcinoma at Tokyo Women's Medical College between 1967 and 1978 were reviewed. 49 patients were treated by combination of irradiation and surgery. The remaining 14 patients received irradiation alone. The relative five-year survival rate was 91.7% in Stage I, 57.7% in Stage II, 33.4% in Stage III and 26.3% in Stage IV. Patients with Stage I survived longer with statistical significance than those with Stage II to IV (p < 0.01). A combination of surgery and irradiation yielded a 79.5% survival rate versus 57.9% for radiotherapy alone. As far as Stage I tumor is concerned, there is little difference in the relative five-year survival rates of the combined (92.7%) versus the radiotherapy group (88.5%). It could be concluded that intracavitary irradiation combined with external irradiation is as effective as combined surgery and irradiation for Stage I tumor. (author)