Adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with vulvar cancer and one intra capsular lymph node metastasis is not beneficial.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to analyze the benefit from adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with vulvar cancer and a single positive node without extra capsular spread.


METHODS
The study population comprised data of 75 patients with vulvar cancer and one lymph node metastasis. The patients were treated in three different university centers in Amsterdam, Groningen and Rotterdam between 1984 and 2005.


RESULTS
Out of 75 patients, 31 (41%) were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy. Both disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were comparable between the groups who did and who did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.45-2.14, p=0.97 and HR=1.02, 95% CI 0.42-2.47, p=0.96).


CONCLUSIONS
We could not demonstrate any beneficial effect of adjuvant radiotherapy in the group of patients with one intra capsular metastasis.
Fons
G
G
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology of the Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. g.fons@amc.uva.nl
Groenen
S M A
SM
Oonk
M H M
MH
Ansink
A C
AC
van der Zee
A G J
AG
Burger
M P M
MP
Stalpers
L J A
LJ
van der Velden
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery