On the value of preoperative intracavital irradiation in carcinoma of the uterus

Abstract

A total of 240 carcinoma uteri, 145 carcinoma colli uteri and 95 carcinoma corporis uteri, was studied. Preoperative intracavital irradiation with 60Co was applied to 100 patients: 57 for carcinoma colli and 43 for carcinoma corporis uteri. In first-stage carcinoma colli uteri, the 5-year survival rate of patients with primary surgery amounted to 74.30%, and in the group with preoperative intracavital irradiation, 83%. In cases of carcinoma corporis uteri, the 5-year survival of first-stage patients was 69.57% after primary surgery and 93.75% with preoperative radiation treatment. Local recurrences were observed in 33 patients after carcinoma colli uteri surgery and 9 patients after carcinoma corporis uteri surgery. In both of these localizations, recurrences were more frequent in the group of patients with primary surgery: After primary surgery of carcinoma colli uteri, recurrences were found in 20.69%, and in patients with preoperative irradiation, in 3.4%. Similar observations were made in cases of carcinoma corporis uteri (11.51:6.97%). Recurrences were about six times more frequent in patients with primary surgery for carcinoma colli uteri and about twice as frequent in cases of carcinoma corporis uteri. © 1980.