Objective To assess the clinical effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of adjuvant radiotherapy(RT) for endometrial cancer compared to other treatmen. Method The following electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBAS, CancerLit, CBMdisc, CNKI. The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2007). Correlative websites, such as ‘google’, were searched by hand. The studies included in the references of eligible studies were additionally searched RCTs of adjuvant radiotherapy before March, 2007 comparing adjuvant radiotherapy with other treatment for endometrial cancer were included. Eligible RCTs were assessed for quality by two reviewers independently: criteria of concealment of treatment, blinding, standard validity and reliability of outcome measures, withdraw rate, intention-to-treat analysis and homogeneity between centers were analyzed for each study. All data were performed by a meta-analysis. Result Seven RCTs met the inclusion criteria/ Methodological quality was level B. Five RCTs were compared adjuvant radiotherapy (external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and /or intracavitary radiotherapy (ICRT) with other treatment, Two RCTs including one RCT was compared two different fractionation schedules for postoperative vagina high-dose-rate(HDR) irradiation in endometrial carcinoma the other RCT was compared two different radiotherapy method (pelvic radiotherapy and vagina radiotherapy vs vagina radiotherapy) for endometrial carcinoma. No survival different were identified; none of the studies was powered enough to show a survival benefit. But who received RT had fewer local (pelvic and/or vagina) recurrences compared to women not receiving RT. Adverse effects is found more often in RT than in not RT, there is less localrecurrences in combined radiotherapy (pelvic radiotherapy and vagina radiotherapy) than in vagina radiotherapy. lowdose vagina radiotherapy had few vagina shortening than high-dose radiotherapy, there are the same 5-overall surviva, local recurrences and distant recurrences. Conclusions Adjuvant radiotherapy for endometrial can cer can better control local recurrences than observation for postoperative endometrial cancer. Effects about overall survival, distant recurrences and disease-free survival are similar; low-dose vagina radiotherapy has few vagina shortening than high-dose radiotherapy, there are the same 5-years overall survival, local recurrences and distant recurrences for endometrial cancer, there is less local recurrences in combined radiotherapy (pelvic radiotherapy plus vagina radiotherapy) than in vagina radiotherapy for endometrial cancer; postoperative high-dose brachytherapy can get good cost-effectiveness; Effect of adjuvant radiotherapy for overall survival and disease-free survival of endometrial carcinoma are needed to further assessed by rigorously designs, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials adjuvant radiotherapy for endometrial carcinoma.
Objective To evaluate the clinical effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of postoperative radiotherapy on endometrial carcinoma. Methods We searched The Cochrane Library, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), The National Research Register, Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA), MEDLINE, EMbase, CancerLit, CBMdisc, VIP, WANFANG DATABASE and CNKI to March 2007. Relevant journals were also hand searched. Study selection and assessment, data collection and analyses were undertaken by two reviewers independently according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Meta-analyses were performed. Results Three RCTs involving 1126 patients were included. Each of the 3 RCTs compared adjuvant radiotherapy (external beam radiotherapy, EBRT) versus chemotherapy. Two trials (730 patients) compared adjuvant radiotherapy versus CAP chemotherapy (carboplatin + adriamycin + cisplatin). The other trial (396 patients) compared adjuvant radiotherapy versus AP chemotherapy (adriamycin + cisplatin). The meta-analyses showed that for patients with endometrial cancer at stage Ic, II or III, there were no significant differences between adjuvant radiotherapy and CAP in 5-year overall survival (OS), 5-year progress-free survival (PFS) and 5-year recurrence (local, distant, total). For patients with endometrial cancer at stage III or IV, adjuvant radiotherapy was superior to AP regimen on 5-year OS and 5-year PFS. The incidence of grade 3/4 toxicities of digestive system and urogenital system was similar between the two groups of patients. The chemotherapy group showed a higher incidence of grade 3/4 toxicities of hematology than the radiotherapy group. Conclusion The effect of adjuvant pelvic radiotherapy for endometrial carcinoma at stage Ic, II or III is similar to that of adjuvant chemotherapy. However, for endometrial carcinoma at stage III or IV, the effect of radiotherapy is superior to that of chemotherapy. Radiotherapy has a lower role of myelosuppression than chemotherapy. No significant difference was observed between the radiotherapy and chemotherapy in grade 3/4 toxicities of the digestive system and the urogenital system.