[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.