Extended field irradiation in the treatment of patients with cervical carcinoma involving biopsy proven para-aortic nodes.

Between November 1974 and November 1979, 15 patients with cervical carcinoma were treated with extended field irradiation for biopsy proven para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastases. Treatment consisted of pelvic and para-aortic irradiation at a daily dose of 180 to 200 rad per day, delivering 4000 to 6000 rad to the pelvis and 4000 to 5000 rad to the para-aortic nodes. One or two intracavitary insertions each delivered an additional 2000 to 3500 rad to point A. The three year actual disease free survival for the 12 patients with Stage I and II disease was 50%. All six survivors remain alive without evidence of disease for 41 to 93 months, with a mean and median follow-up of 65 months. All patients dying of disease did so within 26 months, all but one dying within one year. All patients with Stage III and IV are dead of disease. Pelvic disease was controlled in 11 of 12 patients with Stage I or II disease, and in one of the three patients with Stage III and IV disease. There was no clinical indication of failure in the PALN in any patient. Nine patients failed with disseminated disease. Three of 15 patients (20%) suffered serious treatment-related complications. Two of these were attributed to the pelvic irradiation, with one patient requiring a colostomy. Thus, complications resulting from the extended field irradiation were seen in only one patient (6.7%). There was no treatment related mortality. Extended field irradiation can lead to a 50% survival in patients with Stage I and II cervical carcinoma and PALN metastases, a survival comparable to that reported in patients with involved pelvic nodes.