Stage IB carcinoma of the cervix, the Norwegian Radium Hospital: results and complications. III. Urinary and gastrointestinal complications.

The combination of surgery and radiotherapy for early cases of cancer of the cervix has been accused of producing prohibitive complication rates. In a series of 612 patients with cancer of the cervix, Stage IB, the frequency of major complications from the urinary and gastrointestinal tract has been studied, and an attempt has been made in determining the most probable etiology of these complications. No significant increase in complications can be attributed to the use of preoperative intracavitary irradiation. In patients with pelvic lymph node metastases the combination of radical surgery and a full course of radiotherapy is associated with a high complication risk, as 12% of these patients developed major complications. Their 5-year survival, however, was high: 54%.