Update on radiation therapy for endometrial cancer

The best clinical outcomes for patients with endometrial cancer seem to be achieved with either surgery alone or a combination of surgery and radiation therapy. Although once administered preoperatively, irradiation is now rarely given prior to surgery in this population. After surgical staging, most patients receive postoperative adjuvant therapy based on their pathologic risk factors. Although prospective randomized trials in these patients are limited, recent studies have attempted to determine the best management strategies for the disease. Based on these investigations, treatment recommendations are outlined for patients who are surgically staged and for those with incomplete surgical staging. Also described is the use of irradiation in recurrent endometrial cancer after surgery alone, as well as palliative radiation. In addition, ongoing prospective randomized trials are described.