Treatment tolerance and early complications with extended field irradiation in gynaecological cancer

Abstract

Treatment tolerance and early complications were analyzed in patients treated with extended field irradiation and pelvic irradiation alone. Patients (126) were treated for carcinoma of the uterine cervix and endometrium from May, 1972-Nov., 1974. All patients received external irradiation using a 25 MV X-ray beam. Follow-up was nearly complete in all patients with the minimum follow-up being 15 mo. and the average 24 mo. Treatment tolerance was approximately the same for all field sizes except when the field was extended to the top of D12. In this situation the patients occasionally required a short rest during their irradiation. The age of the patient contributed significantly to tolerance, with 70% of the patients who experienced poor tolerance being older than 60 yr. Complications were evenly distributed in all catagories of field size and appeared to be affected only by age and previous surgery. Of the patients who experienced complications 68% were older than 60 yr, and of the 37 patients who had previous surgery, 32% had a complication. With certain treatment modifications treatment tolerance and early complications appear acceptable when using extended field irradiation for gynecological cancer.