THE OUTCOME OF RADIATION-THERAPY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED CERVICAL-CANCER

Objective: To clarify whether radiation therapy is a suitable treatmen t for elderly patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the ut erine cervix Method: We investigated the outcome of 102 patients with stage IIIb squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, who underwen t radiation therapy alone, by using a multiple regression analysis. Re sults: All factors investigated were not significant prognostic variab les in this study. Five-year survival rates between the two groups, wh ich we have divided for every 5 years of age, showed no differences. C onclusion: Age was not a dependent prognostic factor in the patients w ith stage IIIb squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cenix, if the su bject underwent complete treatment. This study suggests that radiation therapy is still considered as a reasonable treatment for elderly pat ients with cervical cancer. (C) 1997 International Federation of Gynec ology and Obstetrics.