title: [Preoperative high-dose brachytherapy in cases of endometrial carcinoma--preliminary assessment of outcomes and safety].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rising incidence of endometrial carcinoma provokes searching for the best and the safest treatment method.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included in our observation 35 patients suffering from gynaecologic malignancies. They had been treated in H. Jordan s Memorial Hospital. Institute of obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Medical Academy in Łódź and in the Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital-Research Institute, co-operating with the Gynaecologic Radiotherapy Department. The intracavitary method of treatment is described, emphasising the need of precise patients' qualification for this procedure. The importance of MRI as a diagnostic procedure is stressed. All patients were referred for surgical procedures including regional lymph nodes removal 6 weeks after completion of the brash therapy treatment. Pan hysterectomy was performed in 30 cases. 5 patients refused surgical treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the majority of patients (18) the histological examination of specimen (uterus. ovaries, and lymph nodes) was free from cancer cells. These patients did not require further whole pelvis irradiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our material preoperative brachytherapy procedure allowed to avoid whole pelvis irradiation in more than half of the patients. This procedure is also cost effective as patients avoid long-time hospitalisation combined with teleradiotherapy. It is also worth to stress that patients avoid complications related to teleradiotherapy of the pelvis as well as long term treatment and rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny im. M. Kopernika, Paderewskiego 4, 93-509 Łódź, Poland. j.sobotkowski@kopernik.lodz.pl
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sobotkowski
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zielinska
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grzelak
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pietraszek
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery