Post-radiotherapy pelvic exenteration in relapsed cervical cancer: experience of a tertiary health service in the northeast of Brazil

PURPOSE: to analyze complications, morbidity, mortality and survival rate in a group of patients with cervical cancer with central pelvic relapse after primary radiotherapy treatment. METHODS: retrospective study of a series of 16 cases of pelvic exenteration after primary radiotherapy treatment. Descriptive statistics, survival curve through Kaplan-Meier’s method, and regression analysis to evaluate prognosis were performed. RESULTS: sixteen patients have undergone pelvic exenteration. Epidermoid carcinoma, IIb stage and undifferentiated grade were the most frequent conditions. Post-operatory tumor relapse occurred in half the cases. Eleven patients presented peri or post-surgical complications, the most frequent being pelvic infection, that of the surgical wound, and urinary fistulae. Global survival rate was 64.3%, with average follow-up of 11 months. Regression analysis did not detect any significant prognosis factor for the patient survival. CONCLUSIONS: the survival rate was 64.3%. No particular factor associated to poor prognosis has been found in the present series of cases. Clinica de Ginecologia e Mastologia do Hospital Sao Marcos e Departamento de Cirurgia Geral da Universidade Federal do Piaui – UFPI – Teresina (PI), Brasil. 1 Professor Adjunto de Oncologia da Universidade Federal do Piaui – UFPI – Teresina (PI), Brasil. 2 Residente de Clinica Medica do Hospital Getulio Vargas da Universidade Federal do Piaui – UFPI – Teresina (PI), Brasil. 3 Residente de Cirurgia Geral do Hospital da Santa Casa de Sao Paulo – Sao Paulo (SP), Brasil. 4 Medicas da Universidade Federal do Piaui – UFPI – Teresina (PI), Brasil. 5 Academico de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Piaui – UFPI – Teresina (PI), Brasil. Palavras-chave Neoplasias do colo do utero/cirurgia Neoplasias do colo do utero/ complicacoes Neoplasias do colo do utero/ epidemiologia Neoplasias do colo do utero/ mortalidade Neoplasias do colo do utero/ radioterapia Complicacoes intra-operatorias Complicacoes pos-operatorias Exenteracao pelvica Taxa de sobrevida