ABSTRACT
The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate bowel and urinary acute and late morbidity in patients with low to intermediate risk endometrial carcinoma, submitted to total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, without lymphadenectomy, and postoperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-B) as the sole treatment. From March 1996 to June 1998, 70 patients were treated on an outpatient basis, to a total dose of 30-50 Gy, given in two fractions per week. A total of 4-5 fractions of 6-10 GY was delivered. Three patients (4.2%) developed severe bowel complications, with one patient experiencing severe rectal bleeding. Local control was observed in 68 (97.1%) patients. Five-year actuarial disease and complication-free survival were 94.3% and 96.8%, respectively. In conclusion, it seems that a modest dose fraction schedule of HDR-B yields very high local control rates and low morbidity rates.
