HUNTSMAN CANCER INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH MEDIA ADVISORY

Embargoed by the Journal of the American Medical Association for release at 2 p.m. MST Tuesday Jan. 24, 2006

The embargoed news release below, issued by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), concerns a study authored by a team at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. Results of the study showed that supplemental radiation therapy was beneficial for stage I endometrial cancer.

The corresponding or principal author of the study is David Gaffney, M.D., Ph.D., who is medical director of radiation oncology at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. For interviews with Gaffney, please contact Linda Aagard at Huntsman Cancer Institute public affairs — office (801) 587-7639 or cell (801) 243-4733

Christopher M. Lee, the study’s first author, is a medical resident at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

——————————

Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author David K. Gaffney, M.D., Ph.D., call Linda Aagard at 801-587-7639.

Supplemental Radiation Therapy Beneficial for Stage I Endometrial Cancer

CHICAGO – Women with stage I endometrial cancer (with grade 1 and grades 3 and 4 disease) who receive radiation therapy in addition to other treatment have improved survival rates, according to a study in the January 25 issue of JAMA.

Endometrial cancer remains the most common gynecological malignancy in the United States, according to background information in the article. However, the optimal supplemental treatment for stage I endometrial cancer remains uncertain.

Christopher M. Lee, M.D., of Huntsman Cancer Hospital and University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake City and colleagues conducted a study to quantitatively evaluate the frequency and effect of adjuvant (supplemental) radiation therapy (RT) on overall and relative survival for women with stage I endometrial cancer. The study included 21,249 patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage IA-C node-negative endometrial cancer. The researchers used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the U.S. National Cancer Institute, from January 1, 1988, to December 31, 2001.

Of the 21,249 women, 4,080 received adjuvant RT (19.2 percent) and 17,169 did not receive adjuvant RT (80.8 percent). Adjuvant RT significantly improved overall survival for patients with stage IC/grade 1 and stage IC/grades 3 and 4 disease. Further analysis revealed a statistically detectable association of adjuvant RT with improved relative survival in patients with stage IC/grade 1 (56 percent lower rate of death) and stage IC/grades 3 and 4 (28 percent lower rate of death).

“As the largest reported population analysis to our knowledge of adjuvant RT in early stage endometrial adenocarcinoma to date, it is significant that our study reveals a benefit for improved overall and relative survival for adjuvant RT in stage IC/grade 1 and stage IC/grades 3 and 4 disease. This information should be added to previous articles in the literature that confirm beneficial effects of adjuvant RT on both local and distant tumor control for certain patient cohorts,” the authors write.

“Statistical analysis cannot replace clinical judgment when considering the individual patient, tumor characteristics, and the potential risks and benefits of adjuvant RT. Hopefully, appropriate adjuvant RT will be used to decrease the death rate from this most common of gynecological malignancies. Future work is needed to continue to delineate clinical and biological factors that can guide treatment and account for disparities in outcome between varied subsets of patients,” the researchers conclude. (JAMA. 2006;295:389-397. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org)

Editor’s Note: This study was supported in part by a grant from the Cancer Center Support.

###

For More Information: Contact the JAMA/Archives Media Relations Department at 312-464-JAMA or email: mediarelations@jama-archives.org

================================

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN JAMA NEWS RELEASES IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT. JOURNAL ATTRIBUTION IS REQUIRED.

==========================

JOURNALISTS CAN ACCESS EMBARGOED AND PREVIOUS JAMA/ARCHIVES STUDIES ON-LINE

Go to www.jamamedia.org for more information and to apply for access.

=====================================