Adjuvant radiotherapy in the surgical treatment of the carcinoma of the cervix.
Treatment results of 1,092 patients with operated cervical cancer, covered by a cooperative program including the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology of four universities, were analysed. Standardized surgical procedures and histological processing of the surgical specimens were employed throughout. The indication to postoperative radiotherapy was different in the different university departments. In order to carry out a realistic comparison of the achieved treatment results, not the clinical staging, but the tumour extension histologically determined on the surgical specimen, was taken into account. In cases presenting a continuous tumour growth corresponding to histological Stage Ib, the 5-year-survival rates achieved were 90.5% and 95.6% for patients only operated, or operated and subjected to radiation therapy, respectively. In cases of continuous tumour growth corresponding to histological Stage II, the 5-year-survival rates were 79.5% following surgery only, and 83.1% after surgery and radiation. The differences between the corresponding survival rates were not statistically significant. The further proof of tumour parameters and the formation of twin pairs, revealed that the prognosis of patients presenting unfavourable tumour criteria could not be influenced by a postoperative radiation therapy.
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*