ISOTOPE NEPHROGRAMS IN THE FOLLOW-UP TO C ERVICAL CARCINOMAS SUBJECTED TO RADICAL SURGERY

257 patients suffering from cervical cancer (stage I and II according to FIGO classification) were included in this retrospective study. All of them underwent radical surgery between 1978 and 1987, including pe lvic lymphadenectomy. In addition to conventional follow-up procedures , isotope nephrograms (ING) were performed as a routine measure. ING c urves reflect renal function and serve as a highly sensitive qualitati ve parameter of urine flow. It may therefore be used as indirect indic ator of pathologic changes in the small pelvis, such as recurrent dise ase. Follow-up period was between 3 and 10 years. Chi-square test was used to determine the probability of correlation between the evidence of pathologic ING-curves (yes/no) and a) lymph node status (pos/neg), b) patients, who underwent adjuvant radiotherapy (yes/no), or c) patie nts, who revealed recurrent disease (yes, no). All of the subgroups sh owed significant positive correlation. Pathological ING curves appeare d a) in 61 % of patients having a positive lymph node status (n = 66, p = 0.001), in 88 % of patients, who developed recurrent disease (n = 56, p = 0.001) and in 44 % of patients, who received adjuvant irradiat ion therapy (n = 131, p = 0.05). The high degree of sensitivity of ING concerning urinary tract obstruction seems to justify the routine use of this method in the follow-up of these patients. It should help to identify impaired renal function in good time.