External irradiation in the management of stage II endometrial carcinoma. A logical approach

Abstract

Twenty-nine patients with stage II endometrial carcinoma were reviewed and the possible risk factors involved in state II disease are presented. Twenty-four patients received external irradiation as part of their treatment with or without intracavitary or intravaginal radium and/or TAH BSO. The 5-year actuarial survival in our series was 81.4%. The data showed that preoperative external irradiation can be effectively administered without undue complication. A strong argument against the traditional use of preoperative intracavitary radium is presented. Preoperative external irradiation administered with a 4-field box technique to deliver a minimum dose of 5000 rad in 5--6 weeks to all the structures at risk is the recommended treatment for stage II endometrial carcinoma.