Is there a role for simple hysterectomy after irradiation for bulky cervical carcinoma?

Twenty eight patients with bulky cervical carcinoma, who were treated by irradiation and simple hysterectomy, were studied. Eight of these patients had non-radical pre-operative irradiation. The patients had various FIGO-stages. The prognostic significance of morphologically intact tumor cells in the hysterectomy specimen and the relationship between pre-operative irradiation dosage, intact tumor cells and recurrences is discussed. Positive pelvic lymph-nodes obtained by sampling had more prognostic significance than intact tumor cells in the hysterectomy specimen. The role of adjunctive hysterectomy in local tumor control was not evident. Non-radical pre-operative irradiation proved to be inadequate.