ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Carcinoma of the uterine cervix is the sixth most common malignant neoplasm in women worldwide. Early stage diagnosis increases the cure rate of disease. Radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy is one of the most effective treatment modalities. After radiotherapy, accurate and regular follow-up results in early diagnosis and effective treatment of recurrence. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we evaluated 346 cases of cervical carcinoma who have been treated with radiotherapy in the Radiation Oncology Department of the Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini hospital from 1995 to 2001. RESULTS: Age of the study group ranged from 26 to 78 (mean=50.5, SD=11). 30.4 percent of patients were early stage and 69.6 percent had advanced stage of disease. Some 92.2 percent of cases were squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas made up the 6.4 percent . Radical radiotherapy was most frequent radiotherapy setting and adjuvant radiotherapy (post-op) was the second. Most of the patients (43.7 percent) were followed for a short time, and a considerable number did not return for follow-up. CONCLUSION: According to our results, patients do not pay enough attention to disease follow-up. An acceptable training plan, with emphasis on regular follow-up, is recommended.