PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF PRETREATMENT FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH LOCALLY ADVANCED-CARCINOMA OF THE UTERINE CERVIX TREATED BY RADIOTHERAPY ALONE

The prognostic effect of pretreatment patient- and tumor characteristi cs, and the influence of radiotherapy schedule on local control, dista nt metastases, and crude survival were analyzed in 424 consecutive pat ients with FIGO stage IIB (n = 137), IIIA (n = 10), IIIB (n = 211) and IVA (n = 66) cancer of the uterine cervix. All patients were given ra diotherapy alone. From 1974 and through 1977, the external and intraca vitary combined radiotherapy was given continuously in 4 to 6 weeks. F rom 1978 and through 1983, the treatment policy was changed to split-c ourse radiotherapy by introducing planned pauses, resulting in an over all treatment time of 10 to 12 weeks. The results were estimated by un ivariate actuarial- and Cox multivariate regression analyses. Multivar iate analysis showed that significant adverse variables for local cont rol were large lateral tumor diameter, young age, low hemoglobin at ti me of admission, many pregnancies, split-course strategy, and high FIG O stage. Risk of metastases increased with decreasing hemoglobin, incr easing malignancy grade and split-course treatment. Poor survival prob ability were related to large lateral tumor diameter, high malignancy grade and FIGO stage, low hemoglobin, split-course therapy, and adeno/ adenosquamous tumor type.