Treatment of cancer of the cervix with a high-dose-rate afterloading machine (the Cathetron).
Two hundred and ninety-one patients with invasive carcinoma of the cervix uteri were treated by a combination of external beam therapy (telecobalt or 4 Mv Linear accelerator) and a high dose-rate afterloading intracavitary apparatus (the Cathetron). All patients have been followed for a minimum of 3 1/2 years. The five year survival rates are: all patients 55%; Stage I, 81%; Stage IIA, 74%; Stage IIB, 40%; Stage III, 27%. Death was directly attributed to treatment in five patients. We found a serious complication rate of 3% for all patients treated, the major problem being radiation ileitis. It is concluded that high dose-rate treatment offers comparable results to conventional radium therapy; the choice between high and lose dose-rate afterloading systems depends on the number of patients needing treatment and associated economic factors rather than any intrinsic radiobiological advantage of either system.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007079:Ileitis / Q000209:etiology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*