| Abstract: | From 1965 through 1977, 54 patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the endometrium were treated at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals. According to the FIGO-AJC staging system, 39 had Stage II and 15 Stage III disease. Stage II was subdivided into II A-microscopic (28 patients) and II B-clinical (11 patients) involvement of the cervix. Patterns of failure were evaluated, viz. central pelvic, lateral pelvic, and distant. The results confirm an association of increasing grade with increasing stage. Disease-free survival rates at five years are better for Stage II (78%) than Stage III (34%), but are no different for Stages II A (77%) and II B (81%). Pattern of failure and disease-free survival data support the combined irradiation-surgical approach over irradiation alone. Central pelvic failures are reduced by subsequent hysterectomy (6% vs. 20%). Lateral pelvic failures are less frequent when the dose of external pelvic irradiation is 5000+ rads/5-6 weeks compared to less than 5000 rads (4% vs. 20%). In Stage II (corpus et collum) the prognosis is better with preoperative irradiation and abdominal hysterectomy than with irradiation alone (89% vs. 63%). Whenever possible, patients with Stage III disease should be offered irradiation and hysterectomy. |
