25 Adjuvant radiotherapy in patients undergoing surgical treatment for carcinoma of the cervix

Summary An analysis was made of the results from operations carried out on 1092 patients with cervical cancer during a co-operative study involving four universities. Standardized surgical procedures and histological processing of the surgical specimens were employed throughout. The indication for postoperative irradiation therapy was different in the University Departments. In order to carry out a realistic comparison of the results obtained, tumour extension, histologically determined on the surgical specimen, was used as a criterion, clinical staging not being used. In cases presenting a continuous tumour growth corresponding to histological Stage Ib, the five-year survival rates achieved were 90.5% and 95.6%, respectively, for patients who had received surgical treatment only and those who had had postoperative irradiation therapy. In cases of continuous tumour growth amounting to histological Stage II, the corresponding five-year survival rates were 79.5% and 83.1%. The difference between the survival rates of patients who had had or who had not had postoperative irradiation was not statistically significant. The further proof of tumour parameters in the formation of twin pairs revealed that the prognosis of patients presenting unfavourable tumour characteristics could not be influenced by postoperative irradiation therapy.