section name header

Evidence summaries

Radiotherapy after Surgery for Early Cervical Cancer

Adjuvant radiotherapy after radical surgery may decrease the risk of disease progression compared with no adjuvant radiotherapy in women with stage IB cervical cancer. However, it might not improve overall survival. Level of evidence: "C"

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study limitations (unclear allocation concealment and blinding) and by imprecise results (few patients and outcome events).

Summary

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 2 studies with a total of 397 subjects. Adjuvant radiotherapy after radical surgery was compared with no adjuvant radiotherapy in women with stage IB cervical cancer. There was no significant difference in survival at 5 years between women who received radiation and those who received no further treatment (RR 0.8; 95% CI 0.3 to 2.4). However, women who received radiation had a significantly lower risk of disease progression at 5 years (RR 0.6; 95% CI 0.4 to 0.9). Although the risk of serious adverse events was consistently higher in the radiotherapy group, these increased risks were not statistically significant, probably because the rate of adverse events was low.

Clinical comments

Note

Date of latest search:30 March 2012

    References

    • Rogers L, Siu SS, Luesley D et al. Radiotherapy and chemoradiation after surgery for early cervical cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012;(5):CD007583. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords