title: Carcinoma of the vulva: clinical results of exclusive and adjuvant radiotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the historical cohort of 61 patients with carcinoma of the vulva, treated with radiation therapy from 1986 to 1997.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven patients were submitted to radiation therapy alone and 34 received radiotherapy post limited surgery in early stages and post radical vulvectomy in advanced stages. The dose range varied from 59 to 63 Gy in post-operative patients and 65 Gy to 71 Gy in curative patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five-year Overall Survival (OS) and Disease-Free Survival (DFS) for patients treated with irradiation alone and for those treated with post-operative radiotherapy were 50.8% and 69.7%, respectively, without significant statistical difference. For OS multivariate analysis showed statistical difference for stage and age variables, and for stage variable in the case of DFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In early stage vulvar cancer patients OS and DFS are good, with high control rate and low incidence of adverse effect. In loco-regionally-advanced patients, especially in those with stage IV or with > 2 positive lymph nodes, the outcomes are poor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy. tmbolini52@ciaoweb.it
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tombolini
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Raffetto
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santarelli
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valeriani
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Necozione
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Masedu
authors.forename: R Maurizi
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Enrici
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery