High-dose rate intracavitary therapy for carcinoma of the uterine cervix: I. General figures of survival and complication.

From August 1978 through December 1982, a total of 200 patients with previously untreated carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated using remote afterloading high-dose rate intracavitary therapy (RALS) at our department. According to the staging of UICC (1978), 8 patients were classified into Stage Ia, 22 Ib, 22 IIa, 53 IIb, 85 III, and 10 IV. Actuarial 5-year survival rates by Stage were 100% in Stage Ia, 86% Ib, 67% IIa, 72% IIb, 41% III, and 20% IV (p = 0.0001). Significant prognostic factors in Stage II were the value of hemoglobin (p = 0.0115) and age (p = 0.0431) by logrank test. Corresponding factors in Stage III were the value of hemoglobin (p = 0.0005) and total protein (p = 0.0036). Late complications after RALS developed in 22 patients (11%), that is, rectum 14 (7%), bladder 6 (3%), small intestine 4 (2%) and sigmoid colon 1 (1%). Severe complications requiring surgery were noted in 7 patients (4%). There was no fatal case attributable to complication. It is concluded that RALS is one of the most effective and safe means for the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix based on our results.