Purpose: Uterine sarcoma is a rare disease and survival is poor. From 1975 to 1995, 73 uterine sarcomas were treated at the Curie Institute, and we analysed prognostics factors of survival.
Patients and methods: Seventy-one patients underwent primary surgery, in most cases a radical non conservative surgery and a lymphadenectomy. Every patient had an irradiation (external beam irradiation and/or brachytherapy), and 24 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. We observed that youngest patients had more leiomyosarcomas and low histologic grade tumours. Median survival was 42 months, and 5-years survival and local control were 36 and 68% respectively. Pelvic recurrences were most often before 2 years. This series demonstrates the impact of adjuvant irradiation on local control. This impact was stronger if the tumour had a high histologic grade (p < 0.01). However, irradiation, as well as chemotherapy, had no impact on the survival.
Conclusion: The study confirmed that irradiation enable a better local control. However modalities of radiation therapy (brachytherapy and/or external beam radiotherapy, dose, volume), are still controversed.