Radiotherapy and surgery in the management of stage IB and IIA carcinoma of the cervix

Ninety-two consecutive patients with stages IB and IIA carcinoma of the cervix were treated by one of two regimens: pre-operative intracavitary caesium-137 followed by a Wertheim hysterectomy (group 1) or staging laparotomy with biopsy of suspicious lymph nodes (group 2) (if there was no evidence of tumour on examination of a frozen section of the lymph nodes a Wertheim hysterectomy was performed, but if a tumour was present the abdomen was closed and a course of radical irradiation given). When there was evidence of extracervical spread on examination of the specimen after the Wertheim hysterectomy, postoperative irradiation was given. It was found that clinical staging had been incorrect in 38,5% of patients thought to have stage IB disease and in 71,4% of those thought to have stage IIA disease. The actuarial survival curves showed no significant statistical difference between group 1 and group 2. When examination of the operative specimen showed tumour invasion of the parametrium only, the disease was well controlled by postoperative irradiation (all 7 such patients survived). On the other hand, when there was evidence of tumour invasion of pelvic lymph nodes the 4-year survival rate fell to 31% (4 out of 13 patients), despite the use of postoperative irradiation.