Endometrial carcinoma: a comparative analysis of the therapeutic results and causes of failure after treatment by radiation combined with surgery or radiation therapy alone

Abstract At the present time endometrial carcinoma is considered to be among the most frequent of gynecological tumors and its incidence is now reaching that of cervix carcinoma. In this paper, we present the results of two series of treatment for endometrial carcinoma, one using the combination of surgery and radiation, the second one using radiation treatment alone. Indeed, due to our recruitment criteria between 1968 and 1978 at the Montpellier Cancer Institute, the proportion of patients treated exclusively by physical agents was more or less equal to those receiving combined treatment. In many cases, either because of the poor condition of the patient, or due to local involvement, irradiation alone was used. The report of the results explain the therapeutic failures and show by means of two sequential series how techniques have been developed. Previously treated patients were excluded (44 cases).