What can be expected when radiation therapy becomes the only curative alternative for endometrial cancer?

Fifty-four patients with endometrial carcinoma were treated by radiation alone between 1962 and 1977, because of severe associated medical problems that contraindicated surgery. The overall 5-year absolute and determinate survival rates were 46% and 54%, respectively. The majority of patients who presented with Stage I, grade I disease were treated with only intracavitary radiation; this yielded a 75% 5-year survival rate. However, the combination of external and intracavitary radiation achieved the best results in the overall group. The stage of the disease, grade, age at diagnosis, and treatment techniques correlated well with failure rates. However, only the tumor grade and treatment techniques influenced failure patterns. The length of the uterine cavity did not have any prognostic influence in these patients.