Radiation therapy of carcinoma of the vagina.

Twenty-two patients with invasive primary carcinoma of the vagina were treated with radiation therapy for cure between 1970 and 1980 at Massachusetts General Hospital. Eighteen demonstrated squamous cell carcinoma and six demonstrated adenocarcinoma. The 5-year actuarial survival was 0.38; no difference was noted between the different histologies. For stages I, II, III and IV disease, 5-year actuarial survivals were 0.71, 0.29, 0.48, and 0.52. A dose-response relationship could be demonstrated for both survival and local control. No serious complications were observed. On the basis of these results, increased reliance on implant techniques to increase the radiation dose to subvaginal tissues, is advocated in stage II disease.