Uterine malignant degeneration after low- dose endometrial irradiation.

The effectiveness of low-dose intrauterine irradiation for benign diseases and its possible carcinogenic effect on the uterus was studied in 190 patients who were treated during the years 1952-1974. The indications for irradiation were premenopausal functional bleeding, leukemia, hemophilia, fibroids, endometriosis or other benign reason. Radiation was also performed on patients with severe neurologic diseases that contraindicated surgery and on some mentally retarded patients whose restlessness and epileptic seizures were aggravated premenstrually and during menstruation. The mean follow-up period was 15 years. Uterine bleeding recurred in 21% of the patients. No cases of uterine malignant degeneration were found.