SURVIVAL IN CANCER OF THE CERVIX - TREATMENT IN A POPULATION-BASED CANCER REGISTRY IN A DEVELOPING-COUNTRY (BANGALORE, INDIA)

A survival analysis of treated cases of cervix cancer that were regist ered in the Bangalore (India) Population Based Cancer Registry between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 1989 was performed. Information on vit al status of patients was obtained principally through follow-up visit s to homes of patients. Follow-up information was available for 860 (9 2.7 percent) of 928 registered cases. Of the 860 cases, information on treatment was available for 559 patients, on whom the analysis of tre atment outcome was performed. The overall five-year observed survival (5YS) was 41.1 percent with a relative survival of 46.3 percent. The 5 YS was significantly (P = 0.01) influenced by clinical stage and by ad dition of brachytherapy (BT) to external radiotherapy (EXT) (5YS = 60. 1 percent cf 27.4 percent, P less than or equal to 0.001). In 343 pati ents who received EXT only, comparatively better survival was seen in the group who had received between 4,800 to 5,999 centigray (cGy) (5YS = 36.1 percent) when compared with those who received less than 3,000 and 3,000 to 4,799 cGy (5YS = 16.7 percent and 24.9 percent, respecti vely). Doses of EXT higher than 5,999 cGy (in patients who were not su itable for BT) did not have any benefit in the 5YS (27.4 percent). The study has generated a specific hypothesis about possible needless exc ess dose of external radiotherapy.