Uterine corpus and cervical cancer.

Cancers of the cervix and uterus occur in approximately 50,000 women each year in the United States. As a group, these cancers represent our sixth most common cancer overall, are second only to breast cancer, and are roughly equal to the lung cancer incidence in women. Although they comprise 11% of all cancers in females, they represent only 4% of cancer deaths in women. This results from the effective application of surgery and radiation therapy in the management of these two malignancies as well as effective techniques for early diagnosis. The overall death rate from these two malignancies has decreased more than 70% in the last 40 years. Successful outcome rests on both early diagnosis and the careful application of established treatment approaches. This monograph summarizes the management approaches to both uterine corpus and cervical cancer and discusses the role of adjuvant therapy for these major malignancies. Detailed presentations of the management of special problems, including the uterine sarcomas, are also presented. Although standard management approaches are detailed, discussion of experimental approaches, including adjuvant hormonal treatment, single agent and combination chemotherapy, and the use of radiation sensitizers is included.