Supplemental radiation therapy beneficial in endometrial cancer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows survival benefit if radiotherapy is added to other treatment for endometrial cancer.
It is not clear what the best treatment for endometrial cancer is. Researchers at the University of Utah Medical Center have made a valuable new contribution to the debate by showing the value of adding radiation therapy to other treatment in this disease.

They studied 21,249 women with early stage endometrial cancer, of whom 4,080 received radiotherapy, while the rest did not. There was a significant survival advantage to using radiotherapy – ranging from a 56 to 28 per cent lower death rate, depending on the actual grade of the cancer. Treatment of endometrial cancer will, of course, depend on the individual case. But the potential survival benefits of radiotherapy should not be overlooked.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 25th January 2006 Volume 296 pages 389-397