The value of a postoperative radiation therapy in FIGO stage I and II endometrial cancers

The incidence of endometrial cancer has increased considerably within the last decades. Due to early symptoms more than 88% of all patients present initially with FIGO stage I or II disease.

One hundred and forty-four patients out of 192 patients with stage I endometrial cancers received surgical treatment alone. Like the remaining 48 patients 39 out of 65 patients with stage II tumors received adjuvant radiation therapy with 50 Gy to the true pelvis.

Independent on the chosen treatment results in stage I were influenced by the depth of myometrial invasion (p = 0.023). With a crude 5-year survival rate of 88% patients with less than 33% reached life expectation of matched healthy women. With deeper infiltration crude survival rates were as low as 77%. In stage II tumors 5-year crude survival was elevated 60 to 80% independent on the depth of myometrial infiltration by adjuvant radiation therapy (p = 0.11).

Despite its potential curability and the general knowledge that the prognosis of endometrial carcinomas is governed by a number of factors there are no generally accepted standard treatment modalities available Thus there is great demand for randomized clinical trials.