Radiology, Vol 196, 323-328, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America
Postoperative radiation therapy in clinical stage I endometrial cancer: corpus, cervical, and lower uterine segment involvement--patterns of failure
NA Mayr, BC Wen, JA Benda, JI Sorosky, CS Davis, RW Fuller and DH Hussey
Department of Radiology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA.
PURPOSE: To evaluate involvement of the lower uterine segment (LUS) in
adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and to identify patterns of treatment
failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred four patients, aged 29-92
years, with endometrial carcinoma underwent surgery. Postoperative
radiation therapy was administered for adverse histologic criteria,
including deep myometrial invasion, high grade, or LUS involvement.
RESULTS: The incidence of tumor involvement of the LUS was 19%; of the
cervix, 14%; and of the corpus, 67%. Distant metastasis occurred in 3% of
patients with LUS involvement and in 17% of patients with cervical
involvement. The local recurrence rate was 50% among patients with LUS
involvement with no other risk factors and no postoperative radiation
therapy and was 3% among those who underwent radiation therapy (P = .023).
CONCLUSION: Early local-regional spread may be the primary mechanism of
treatment failure in tumor invasion of the LUS. Aggressive local
management, including postoperative radiation therapy, may be necessary.
