title: Incidence of radiation toxicity in cervical cancer and endometrial cancer patients treated with radiotherapy alone versus adjuvant radiotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study was made to evaluate early and late toxicity in a diversified group of patients receiving definitive or adjuvant radiotherapy in terms of clinical diagnosis and treatment methods.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Radiotherapy is a standard way of treatment in cervical and endometrial cancer patients, both as definitive and adjuvant therapy. But every radiation treatment may be involved with toxicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A detailed analysis was performed of 263 patients with gynaecological cancer treated with definitive (90 patients with cervical cancer received radiochemotherapy or radiotherapy exclusively) and adjuvant radiotherapy (38 with cervical and 135 with endometrial cancer).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute reactions were found in 51.3% and late reactions were found in 14.8% of patients. It was stated that early (p < 0.007) and late (p < 0.003) post radiation reaction appear more frequently in women treated with definitive than adjuvant radiotherapy. The analysis of the whole group revealed higher rate of toxicity, both early and late, in the gastrointestinal tract than in the urinary system (p < 0.004). Comparing the subgroups, it was found that intestinal reactions occurred more frequently in the definitive radiotherapy group than in the adjuvant one. The occurrence of side effects was associated with the prolongation of total irradiation time due to necessary interruptions of radiotherapy. The comparison of the subgroups showed that interruptions occurred more frequently in patients receiving definitive rather than adjuvant radiotherapy (17.7-2.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Definitive radiotherapy compared with adjuvant treatment may by associated with higher percentage of side effects caused by dose of therapy and correlation with chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Department of Gynaecological Radiotherapy and Oncology, Garbary Street 15, 61-866 Poznan, Poland ; Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Department of Electroradiology, Garbary Street 15, 61-866 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roszak
authors.affiliation: Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Department of Gynaecological Radiotherapy and Oncology, Garbary Street 15, 61-866 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Zaneta
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wareńczak-Florczak
authors.affiliation: Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Department of Gynaecological Radiotherapy and Oncology, Garbary Street 15, 61-866 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bratos
authors.affiliation: Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Department of Electroradiology, Garbary Street 15, 61-866 Poznan, Poland ; Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Department of Radiation Oncology, Garbary Street 15, 61-866 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milecki
keywords: Gynaecological cancers; Radiotherapy; Toxicity