Postoperative radiotherapy in endometrial carcinoma: analysis of prognostic factors in 440 cases.

  • 1 January 2000
    • journal article
    • Vol. 21  (3) , 311-5
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic factors influencing overall, disease-free and local recurrence-free survival in patients treated postoperatively with adjuvant radiotherapy for endometrial carcinoma. The records of 440 patients with endometrial carcinoma treated by postoperative radiotherapy between January 1985 and June 1997 were reviewed retrospectively. All patients received postoperative external radiotherapy with 1.8-2.0 Gy daily fractions up to 36-68 Gy (median 54 Gy). Intracavitary brachytherapy was applied to 61.8% of the cases. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used for univariate analysis and the Cox regression model for multivariate analysis. Median age of the patients was 57 (range: 35-83). Histologically 80.2% were adenocarcinoma, 5.7% adenosquamous carcinoma, 5.2% clear-cell carcinoma and 4.3% serous papillary carcinoma. The distribution by stages were: 62.2% Stage I, 20.0% Stage II, 14.9% Stage III, 2.8% Stage IV. Median follow-up time was 53 months (7-173 months). Total failure rate was 15.2% with 2.7% of patients having only local failure, 2.0% local and distant failure and 10.5% distant failure only. Five-year overall, disease-free and local recurrence-free survival rates were 81.6%, 80.7% and 94.6%, respectively. According to univariate analysis prognostic factors influencing disease-free survival were histologic type (p=0.0067), histologic grade (p=0.0015), stage (p<0.0001), myometrial invasion (p<0.0001), peritoneal cytology (p=0.0013) and cervical involvement (p=0.0106) while the prognostic factors affecting local recurrence-free survival were stage (p=0.0277), myometrial invasion (p=0.0054), peritoneal cytology (p=0.0427). According to multivariate analysis prognostic factors influencing disease-free survival were histologic type (p=0.0194), myometrial invasion (p=0.0021), and histologic grade (p=0.0303) while the only prognostic factor influencing local recurrence-free survival was myometrial invasion (p=0.0241). Radiotherapy is a highly effective adjuvant treatment providing an excellent locoregional control rate and it should be continued for patients with unfavorable prognostic factors.

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