Radiation therapy should be considered by women who suffer from stage 1 endometrial cancer along with the removal of the uterus, according to a research which says that this can prolong their survival. Among the gynecological malignancies, endometrial cancer is reported to be the most common. As many as 40,000 women in the US suffer from this condition annually in the US alone, according to the data of the American Cancer Society.
The presence of this type of cancer is easily diagnosed because of the bleeding. There is a 90% 5 year survival rate for this ailment. Adjuvant therapies like surgical treatment and chemotherapy are being studied to raise the survival rate by the researchers, but these also suffer from the disadvantages of serious side effects. Data has also been collected from the cancer study Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) to see if more survival benefits can be provided by radiation therapy.The database is inclusive of 21,249 women who suffer from stage 1 endometrial cancer, wherein it is present only at the uterus and is yet to spread to other areas. Grades of A, B and C have been given to the penetration of the disease, and the highest penetration is indicated by the stage C. The women who were diagnosed with this condition averaged at 63 years. Adjuvant radiation therapy was reported to have been administered to 20% of the women, numbering about 4,080.
In the case of women who were less than 56 years old, there was a 98% survival rate for a period of five years, while it is at 94% for women aged between 56 years to 75 years. The survival rates fell drastically for those who were aged more than 75 years. The study recommends radiation for those who suffer from the stage 1C cancer. Most such cancer survivors are also found to benefit from exercises, which serves to extend the survival period of the patients and also prevent the risk of the disease recurring.
