Long-term Results for Postoperative Radiotherapy Following Radical Hysterectomy for Stage IB Cervix Cancer

Full Article

KB Smith, RJ Amdur, AR Yeung, CG Morris, J Kirwan, L Morgan

Hong Kong J Radiol 2009;12:8-11

Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients with stage IB cervix cancer who were selected for primary surgery because they were thought to be at low risk for needing postoperative radiotherapy following radical hysterectomy.

Methods: Review of the outcome of 25 patients with clinical stage IB cervix cancer who were treated with radical hysterectomy and postoperative radiotherapy at the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA, between 1975 and 2001.

Results: The median follow-up was 13 years. The 10-year rates of pelvic control, cause-specific survival, and overall survival were 88%, 75%, and 68%, respectively. The grade 3 to 4 complication rate was 8%. Twenty five percent of patients died of cervix cancer.

Conclusion: The long-term prognosis following radical hysterectomy and radiotherapy for stage IB cervix cancer was discouraging, even when patients were selected for primary surgery specifically because they were unlikely to have indications for postoperative radiotherapy.