Carcinoma of the cervix stage IB: results of treatment with radiation therapy.

An analysis has been made of 101 patients treated with radiation therapy for epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix Stage IB (FIGO) from January 1970 through December 1976. The patients were treated with a combination of intracavitary therapy and external beam therapy delivering a total combined dose of 8000 rad to the paracervical areas (Points AR and AL) and 5500 rad to the pelvic lymph nodes (Points IR and IL). The cumulative, disease-free survival at 2, 3 and 5 years was 89%, 87% and 84%. Sixteen failures were recorded in this group of patients, of which 3 were a result of loco-regional disease, 5 loco-regional disease plus distant metastasis and 8 distant metastasis only. The failure rate was greater among the patients who had lesions 4 or more cm in diameter and in patients who received doses of external beam therapy to the whole pelvis of 4000 rad or more. Eighteen patients developed complications; however, one patient had a recto-vaginal and a vesico-vaginal fistula; thus 19 complications were recorded. The complications were divided according to their severity into three groups: Grade I (mild), Grade II (moderate) and Grade III (severe). There were 10 Grade I, 4 Grade II and 5 Grade III complications.