Influence of preoperative intracavitary high (Co60, Cathetron) and low dose-rate (radium) irradiation on surgical difficulties and postsurgical morbidity in patients with uterine carcinoma.

A study was made to determine whether high dose-rate afterloaded Co60 (Cathetron) can be safely used in preoperative radiotherapy for patients with St. I-II cervical or endometrial cancer without an increase in surgical difficulties or postsurgical morbidity when compared with conventional radium therapy. Seventy-five patients with cervical cancer St. Ia-IIb were operated on radically two to three weeks after preoperative intracavitary radiotherapy of which 31 had been treated with the Cathetron and 44 with radium. Furthermore, 144 patients with endometrial cancer St. I-II were also operated on, of which 49 had received Cathetron and 95 radium treatment. No statistical differences were found between the two treatment groups in the duration of the operations, blood loss, or the frequency of early or late postoperative complications.