PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH CERVIX CANCER TREATED BY RADIATION-THERAPY - RESULTS OF A MULTIPLE-REGRESSION ANALYSIS

A retrospective analysis of 965 patients with invasive cervix cancer t reated by radiation therapy between 1976 and 1981 was performed in ord er to evaluate prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and pelvic control. FIGO stage was the most powerful prognostic factor fol lowed by radiation dose and treatment duration (P values = 0.0001). If the analysis was limited to patients treated with radical doses of 75 Gy or more, dose was no longer significant. Young age at diagnosis, n on-squamous histology and transfusion during treatment were also adver se prognostic factors for survival and control. Para-aortic nodal invo lvement on lymphogram was associated with a reduction in DFS (P = 0.00 27), whereas pelvic lymph node involvement alone was not. In patients with Stage I and IIA disease, tumour size was the most powerful progno stic factor for survival (P = 0.0001) and the extent of pelvic sidewal l involvement was significant in patients with Stage III tumours (P = 0.007). Histological grade appeared to be a predictive factor but was only recorded in 712 patients. These features should be considered in the staging of patients and in the design of clinical trials.