Management of Recurrent Cancer of the Cervix

Abstract

The patient who has recurrent or persistent carcinoma of the cervix after irradiation therapy has a fair chance of being cured by radical surgery (pelvic exenteration) if the lesion is still confined to the pelvis. The operation entails urinary and fecal diversion. Experience with 150 cases over a 10 year period indicates that 25 per cent of patients selected for the operation can be cured. Over-all operative mortality was 10 per cent but the risk has been reduced by almost half in recent years.