Late effects of radiation therapy for cancer of the uterine cervix
Zippin, C.; Lum, D.; Kohn, H.I.; Bailar, J.C.
Cancer Detection and Prevention 4(1-4): 487-492
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0361-090X PMID: 7349815 Document Number: 178967
This report presents follow-up information on 497 women diagnosed with cancer of the uterine cervix in Connecticut and California between 1932 and 1951 who received only radiation as their initial course of therapy. Patients entered into the study were all treated before age 55 and all were five-year-survivors following treatment in order to eliminate early deaths due to the cervical cancer. Three radiologic dosage groups (high, medium, and low) were formed with 93, 244, and 160 patients, respectively. For all dosage groups combined 108 subsequent cancers were observed more than 5 yr after cancer treatment compared with 64 expected (P less than 0.01). Sites for which subsequent cancers were significantly (P less than 0.05) in excess of expectation were rectum, ovary, lung, vulva and vagina, small intestine, oropharynx, and central nervous system excluding brain. The ratio of observed to expected cases of subsequent cancers rose only slightly with increasing radiologic dose. No significant differences in overall survival patterns for the three dosage groups were found. For all dosage groups survival was poorer than in the corresponding segment of the general population.