Adjuvant brachytherapy removes survival disadvantage of local disease extension in stage IIIC endometrial cancer: a SEER registry analysis.

PURPOSE: To assess the role of radiotherapy (RT) in women with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: The 17-registry Survival, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was searched for patients with lymph node-positive non-Stage IV epithelial endometrial cancer diagnosed and treated between 1988 and 1998. Two subgroups were identified: those with organ-confined Stage IIIC endometrial cancer and those with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer with direct extension of the primary tumor. RT was coded as external beam RT (EBRT) or brachytherapy (BT). Observed survival (OS) was reported with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up; the survival curves were compared using the log-rank test.

RESULTS: The therapy data revealed 611 women with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer during this period. Of these women, 51% were treated with adjuvant EBRT, 21% with EBRT and BT, and 28% with no additional RT (NAT). Of the 611 patients, 293 had organ-confined Stage IIIC endometrial cancer and 318 patients had Stage IIIC endometrial cancer with direct extension of the primary tumor. The 5-year OS rate for all patients was 40% with NAT, 56% after EBRT, and 64% after EBRT/BT. Adjuvant RT improved survival compared with NAT (p <0.001). In patients with organ-confined Stage IIIC endometrial cancer, the 5-year OS rate was 50% for NAT, 64% for EBRT, and 67% for EBRT/BT. Again, adjuvant RT contributed to improved survival compared with NAT (p = 0.02). In patients with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer and direct tumor extension, the 5-year OS rate was 34% for NAT, 47% for EBRT, and 63% for EBRT/BT. RT improved OS compared with NAT (p <0.001). Also, in this high-risk subgroup, adding BT to EBRT was superior to EBRT alone (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION: Women with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer receiving adjuvant EBRT and EBRT/BT had improved OS compared with patients receiving NAT. When direct extension of the primary tumor was present, the addition of BT to EBRT was even more beneficial.