Analysis of sites and causes of failures of irradiation in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the intact uterine cervix.

An analysis of the records of 916 patients who received radiotherapy for invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the intact uterine cervix from January 1964 through December 1969 revealed that 94% of the central and regional failures will occur within 3 years of treatment. Survival rates were as follows: Stage I, 91%; Stage IIA, 82%; Stage IIB, 65%; Stage IIIA, 54%; and Stage IIIB, 40%. The incidences of central and regional failures in Stages I through III are: Stages I and IIA; central 2% and regional 4.5%; Stage IIB; central 5% and regional 13%; Stage III: central 14% and regional 19%. In stages IIB, IIIA, and IIIB, the main cause of failures, either centrally or in the parametria, is the presence of massive disease.