Radiation therapy in cervical carcinoma fifteen years experience in a Norwegian health region

Background: To study the treatment of patients with cervical carcinoma with regard to side effects and survival. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 107 patients with cervical carcinoma treated by radiotherapy with curative intent between January 1, 1987 and December 31, 2001. Results: Median follow-up: 139 months for surviving patients and 23 months for deceased patients. Five-year overall and disease-specific survival for all stages was 36% and 45%, respectively. Corresponding figures for each stage were, Stage I: 54% and 80%, Stage II: 41% and 56% Stage III: 33% and 36% and Stage IV: < 1%. Five-year actuarial incidence of late reactions, all grades were: vagina 77%, rectum 41%, urinary tract 28%. and gastrointestinal tract 37%. Interpretation: a great variation of treatment techniques resulted in an overall survival somewhat interior to that in other comparable series. Over time, an increasing tendency to include brachytherapy and external tumour boost was observed.