Outcome of different treatment modalities in cervix carcinoma stage IB and IIA. Observations in a well-defined swedish population

Abstract

Stage IB or IIA carcinoma of the cervix in a nonselected series of 263 young (±40 years) women was managed with radiotherapy alone or in combination with radical surgery. When the tumor was detected in Stage IB, the 5-year survival rate was 81% in the radiotherapy group and 96% in the combined therapy group. The corresponding figures for Stage IIA were 74% and 66%, respectively. When lymph node metastases were present at operation, the 5-year survival rate was reduced. The reduction was relatively small in Stage IB, but was decreased from 83% to 27% in Stage IIA. The size of the tumor had prognostic impact on the survival rate. Residual tumor in the surgical specimens was likewise associated with poorer prognosis in Stage IIA. The prediagnostic duration of symptoms indicates that the longer the pretreatment time and higher the stage at diagnosis, the greater the likelihood of metastatic spread. Adenocarcinomas comprised 13% of the tumors in the series. Complications of treatment were few.