Cost-effectiveness analysis of the treatment for intermediate risk endometrial cancer: postoperative brachytherapy vs. observation.

Objective: To compare the survival, morbidity, and cost of treating women with intermediate risk endometrial cancer with postoperative vaginal cuff brachytherapy versus observation followed by treatment for vaginal recurrence.

Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed comparing two treatment strategies for intermediate risk endometrial cancer (Stage IC, IG3, II-tumors limited to the uterus with greater than 50% myometrial invasion or poor differentiation or cervical metastasis). All patients undergo hysterectomy, oophorectomy, and lymphadenectomy: strategy 1-postoperative vaginal cuff brachytherapy, strategy 2-observation.