Treatment policies affecting survival in patients with carcinoma of the cervix

Radiotherapy treatment techniques were evaluated according to survival rates among more than 800 patients with Stage I and II carcinoma of the cervix. An increased survival rate was noted when a Fletcher tandem and ovoids and the Fletcher technique of external irradiation and fractionated radium therapy were applied. This increase was due to a larger radiation dose to the anoxic tumor core and to external irradiation shrinking the tumor to within the high-dose range of radium therapy.