[Effectiveness of different dose fractionation regimens in distant and intracavitary gamma therapy of cervical cancer].

The paper is devoted to a cooperative study of comparative assessment of the efficacy of 3 dose fractionation regimens in intracavitary gamma-therapy used in combined radiation therapy of cervical cancer (5 Gy, 10 fractions, 2-3 times a week; 7 Gy, 7 fractions, once in 5 days; 10 Gy, 4 fractions, once a week). Over the period of 1979-1983 1193 patients were treated by uniform methods of intracavitary and distant irradiation. The groups were identical with relation to the number of patients, stage of disease, histological characterization and growth type. By the end of therapy the cure rate among 1183 patients was 90.3%. In 2-3 months the cure rate in the same group was 97.5%. Delayed regression was most noticeable in stages II and III. The 5-year survival rates in 3 groups were: for stage I-95.3 +/- 2.6%; for stage II-83.1 +/- 2.5%; for stage III-73.3 +/- 4.7%. In stage I and II tumors the 5-year survival rates in different regimens were similar whereas in stage III better results were obtained with a fractional dose of 5 Gy. The frequency and degree of severity of late radiation complications of the rectum, bladder, vaginal mucous membrane grew with an increase in a fractional dose.