Preoperative brachyradiotherapy in the treatment of uterine cervix cancer in its first stage of clinical development

In 58 women with diagnosed stage 1 uterine cervix cancer radium (27 women) or cesium (31 women) were applied into the vagina or in the uterine cavity, then after about 7 weeks they were submitted to surgical treatment - radical hysterectomy with adnexectomy and excision of the obturatory and iliac lymphnodes (Wertheim Meigs operation). In 16 of these women, considering the marked dimensions of the neoplasm teletherapy in a decreased dose preceded the brachytherapy. Total destruction of the neoplasmatic outgrowth as a result of preoperative radiotherapy was met in 44 women (76%). In 8 women the excised tissues revealed neoplasmatic cells persisting in the uterine cervix and in 6 - in the lymphnodes. These women underwent subsequent post-operative teletherapy. The complications of the adapted technique were analysed and found to fall close within limits of those, accepted in cases of classic primary surgical treatment. No exits and no fistulas were met in the material. The value of brachytherapy applied before surgery is evident as it permitted to evade the post-operative teletherapy in 55% of women and to reduce the external irradiation dose in further 21% of women. (author)