Radiation therapy for endometrial carcinoma

Although pelvic irradiation has traditionally been employed as an adjunct to surgery, the role of radiation therapy as a definitive therapeutic modality continues to be controversial. One-hundred and twenty-one patients were treated for endometrial carcinoma between 1978 and 1985 at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital. These patients were divided into three groups with respect to their treatment. Group 1 consisted of 16 patients who had preoperative radiation therapy, group 2 consisted of 77 patients who had postoperative radiation therapy, and group 3 consisted of 28 patients who had radiation therapy alone. Ninety-three percent of the patients in groups 1 and 2 and 68% of patients in group 3 had stages I and II disease. In group 3, 32% of the patients had stages III and IV disease. Two-thirds of the patients in groups 1 and 2 had moderately differentiated tumor. One-third of patients in group 3 had poorly differentiated tumor. Sixty percent of the study's population in group 2 had deep myometrial invasion. The treatment doses utilized and local failures will be presented. All of the patients have been followed for a minimum period of 2 years. The observed actuarial 5-year survival was 85%, 80%, and 53%, respectively, for groups 1, 2, and 3. The overall survival of the entire patient population was 77%. There was 1 fatality secondary to small bowel complication in group 2 and another serious complication of rectovaginal fistula in group 1 requiring colostomy. Other side effects were skin reaction, diarrhea, and cystitis, which were treated symptomatically. Analysis of the authors' institution experience with adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and its management with radiation therapy is presented. Survival is correlated with stage, grade, and depth of myometrial invasion