An analysis of adjuvant treatment strategies for carcinoma of the cervix

The majority of women with cancer of the cervix are cured with radiation or surgery, but a sizable fraction of tumors recur. Adjuvant chemotherapy is generally toxic and of limited efficacy. Thus, 49 women with surgical staging and estrogen and progesterone receptors were analyzed with logistic models to identify patients at high and low risk of treatment failure following conventional therapy. This methodology allows the patient and her physician to optimize choice of therapy. The benefits and limitations of such a decision theory analysis are discussed.