Salvage with radiotherapy of postsurgical relapses of endometrial cancer

From January 1960 to June 1974, 71 patients with a postsurgical relapse of endometrial adenocarcinoma have been referred to the Radiology Institute of the University of Florence. Eleven patients showed hematogenous metastases; the remaining 60 cases showed locoregional relapses and were treated with radiotherapy. Forty-eight patients, whose relapse was localized to the pelvis, vagina, inguinal nodes or perineal scar, were treated with a radical aim (4,500-6,000 rad in 5-6 weeks); the treatment was palliative in 12 cases with abdominal extrapelvic relapse. The therapeutic response was not evaluated in 8 patients lost to follow-up shortly after the treatment. In the cases treated with a radical scope, a complete regression was attained in 22 of 43 (51%); a survival rate of 16 of 43 (37%) was attained at 5 years. In 9 cases treated with a palliative aim, only subjective remission was attained, and no patient was alive one year after the therapy. The most favorable therapeutic response was attained in the vaginal relapses (50% survivors at 5 years) and the cases with a late recurrence (more than 3 years) after the initial surgery. No definite correlation was found between the prognosis of the relapse and the histological grading of the primary tumor.