Does postoperative radiotherapy provide any survival advantage over observation in stage IC endometrial cancer after comprehensive surgical staging?
OBJECTIVE
To compare postoperative radiotherapy and observation for survival and recurrence rates in stage IC endometrial carcinoma patients who underwent comprehensive surgical staging.


METHODS
Fifty-seven stage IC endometrial cancer patients who underwent surgical staging were included in this study. Twenty cases (35%) received postoperative radiotherapy and 37 (65%) were observed without additional therapy. The two groups were compared for survival and recurrence rates.


RESULTS
Mean follow-up times for the radiotherapy and observation groups were 52.05 and 38.71 months, respectively. Five-year disease-free survival rates for the radiotherapy and observation groups were 91% and 63%, respectively, and 5-year overall survival rates for the radiotherapy and observation groups were 90.0% and 80.8%, respectively. Both the disease-free and overall survival rates were similar between the two groups (p > 0.05). One (5%) of the 20 patients in the radiotherapy group, and four (10.8%) of the 37 patients in the observation group had recurrences and there was no statistical difference for the recurrence rates (p > 0.05). Disease grade had no prognostic significance in terms of survival after surgical staging.


CONCLUSIONS
Comprehensive surgical staging might minimize the unfavorable role of deep myometrial invasion and grade. After surgical staging, postoperative observation without radiotherapy may be an appropriate approach in stage IC, all grades, endometrial carcinoma.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology Division, Medical School of Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey. salihtaskin@yahoo.com
Salih
S
Taşkın
Mete
M
Güngör
Fırat
F
Ortaç
Derya
D
Öztuna
D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D057832:Watchful Waiting