Patterns of care outcome studies. Results of the national practice in cancer of the cervix.

This report summarizes the national data collected by the Patterns of Care Study in the process and outcome of care in the treatment of carcinoma of the cervix. Substantial variation was found from a consensus of best current management, although training facilities tended to score higher than nontraining on a compliance measure. Four year national averages for control of cervical cancer are: Stage I, 87%, Stage II, 66%, Stage III, 28%. Factors relating to recurrences include failure to use intracavitary irradiation, the type of equipment, the central dose, and Karnofsky Score. The presence of complications is associated with daily dose, lateral dose and central dose, among other factors, and was shown to be unacceptably high in Stage I.