External irradiation in the management of stage II endometrial carcinoma. A logical approach

Twenty‐nine patients with stage II endometrial carcinoma were reviewed and the possible risk factors involved in stage II disease are presented. Twenty‐four patients received external irradiation as part of their treatment with or without intracavitary or intravaginal radium and/or TAH BSO. The 5‐year actuarial survival in our series was 81.4%. The data showed that preoperative external irradiation can be effectively administered without undue complication. A strong argument against the traditional use of preoperative intracavitary radium is presented. Preoperative external irradiation administered with a 4‐field box technique to deliver a minimum dose of 5000 rad in 5–6 weeks to all of the structures at risk is the recommended treatment for stage II endometrial carcinoma.