[Prognosis of primary radiotherapy of cervix cancer in younger females].

Between 1970 and 1979 202 women of 40 years of age or younger were treated for invasive cervical cancer at the 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University of Vienna. 77 patients received primary irradiation therapy (radium and cobalt-60), 125 underwent surgery. These cases were compared with 1586 patients of all ages who received primary radiation therapy. Of the women under 40 receiving only radiation therapy, the survivors were divided into the following categories: stage I:84.6% of 13 cases stage II:69.2% of 13 cases stage III:35.1% of 37 cases stage IV: 0% of 14 cases. The survival rate for all age groups receiving primary radiation therapy was: stage I:76.0% of 225 cases stage II:52.9% of 429 cases stage III:42.9% of 801 cases stage IV:11.4% of 131 cases. There was no significant difference in the 5-year survival rate between the older and younger women. However, a more promising trend for the younger women receiving primary radiation therapy may be expected. The younger women were observed to have irreversible complications (fistulas) at a rate of 7.7%, whereas the rate of comparable patients receiving radiation therapy was 0.6%. The younger women having stage III and IV cancer were found to develop fistulas at a rate of 17.6%, while both groups together had a rate of only 3.2%. Hence, primary radiation therapy for younger women must be considered as involving a relatively high rate of complications. For younger women with stage I cancer the survival rate after radical surgery was 88.8% (98 cases), after radiation therapy 84.6.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)