National Cancer Institute
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The Study
The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) 122 trial was the first major phase III clinical trial to compare chemotherapy to whole-abdominal radiation as first-line, post-surgery therapy for advanced endometrial cancer. Early results were first presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology in Chicago in June 2003.
Between May 1992 and February 2000 researchers enrolled 396 patients with stage III or IV endometrial cancer at sites around the country. All patients had hysterectomies and surgery to remove their uterus and were left with no tumors larger than an inch. Within eight weeks, 198 randomly assigned patients received whole-abdominal radiation, while the other 190 received combination chemotherapy with doxorubicin and cisplatin.
Patients receiving radiation got 1.5 Gy to their whole abdomen each weekday for four weeks, and then a cumulative boost dose of 15 Gy specifically to their pelvic region, for a total of 45 Gy. About 84 percent of patients finished the full course of radiation.
Patients receiving chemotherapy got a combination of doxorubicin and cisplatin in seven three-week cycles, followed by one cycle of cisplatin alone. Only 63 percent of patients finished the full course of combined chemotherapy.
Patients were monitored for side effects each week during treatment. After treatment, they were seen every three months for two years, twice each year thereafter.
Marcus E. Randall, M.D., from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C., is the lead author of the report. The trial was supported by the National Cancer Institute.
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