Postoperative radiation therapy in clinical stage I endometrial cancer: corpus, cervical, and lower uterine segment involvement--patterns of failure.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate involvement of the lower uterine segment (LUS) in adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and to identify patterns of treatment failure.


METHODS
Two hundred four patients, aged 29-92 years, with endometrial carcinoma underwent surgery. Postoperative radiation therapy was administered for adverse histologic criteria, including deep myometrial invasion, high grade, or LUS involvement.


RESULTS
The incidence of tumor involvement of the LUS was 19%; of the cervix, 14%; and of the corpus, 67%. Distant metastasis occurred in 3% of patients with LUS involvement and in 17% of patients with cervical involvement. The local recurrence rate was 50% among patients with LUS involvement with no other risk factors and no postoperative radiation therapy and was 3% among those who underwent radiation therapy (P = .023).


CONCLUSIONS
Early local-regional spread may be the primary mechanism of treatment failure in tumor invasion of the LUS. Aggressive local management, including postoperative radiation therapy, may be necessary.
Mayr
N A
NA
Department of Radiology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Wen
B C
BC
Benda
J A
JA
Sorosky
J I
JI
Davis
C S
CS
Fuller
R W
RW
Hussey
D H
DH
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D001918:Brachytherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy; D012307:Risk Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014599:Uterus / Q000473:pathology