[Radiotherapy of inoperable endometrial adenocarcinoma (author's transl)].

In this paper we analyze overall patients affected by inoperable adenocarcinoma of the endometrium, observed and treated with radiotherapy alone at the Milan Cancer Institute from January 1959 to December 1973. A total of 82 cases were collected for this study. Only the Stage IV cases have been excluded, as well as those treated for relapse. Inoperability were derived from various medical contra-indications in 70 patients (F85.4%) and from extrauterine spreading of the tumor in 12 (14.6%). The results achieved by the radiotherapy alone are not to be disregarded. The overall 5-years survival was 38.8% for the total number treated and 40.6% for Stage I and II cases. The most useful irradiation technique for the treatment of the primary tumor proved to be the uterine packing with cobalt-60 radioactive pearls and a 5-years survival of 45.7% was observed in 41 Stage I patients treated in this way. The most disappointing results were registered in Stage III cases (28.6% of 5-years survival). This paper confirms the interest of radiotherapy for the treatment of inoperable endometrial adenocarcinoma.