Number and distribution of pelvic lymph nodes and effect of surgical pathologic factors on pelvic lymph node status in patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To report the number and distribution of pelvic lymph nodes and to identify surgical pathologic factors that best predict positive pelvic lymph nodes in patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection (RHND). METHODS: Data from the files of 126 patients with cervical carcinoma treated by RHND at the Soroka Medical Center from 1962 through 2005 were analyzed. RESULTS: The status of pelvic lymph nodes was known in 114 patients. The exact number of lymph nodes removed from the pelvis of each patient was known in 111 patients. The mean number of lymph nodes removed from the pelvis per patient was 26.6 (median 23; range 1-62). Positive pelvic lymph nodes were found in 35 (30.7%) of the patients with a mean of 3.4 (median 2; range, 1-15) positive pelvic lymph nodes per patient. In a univariate analysis, positive lymph vascular space invasion and positive parametrial and/or paracervical involvement were significant predictors of positive pelvic lymph nodes, whereas penetration > or = 50% of the thickness of the cervical wall and grade 2+3 were of borderline significance. In a multivariate analysis, positive lymph vascular space invasion was the strongest and the only significant predictor of positive pelvic lymph nodes, whereas positive parametrial and/or paracervical involvement was of borderline significance. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma treated with RHND, positive lymph vascular space invasion emerged to be the strongest and most significant predictor of positive pelvic lymph nodes.     

Recurrent cervical carcinoma after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection: a study of 32 cases

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To investigate the characteristics of patients with recurrent cervical carcinoma after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection (RHND), and to evaluate the effect of clinical and surgical pathologic factors on the outcome of these patients. METHODS: Data from the files of 32 patients with recurrent cervical carcinoma after RHND managed at the Soroka Medical Center from 1962 through 2005 were analyzed. RESULTS: These 32 patients represent a recurrence rate of 25.4%. The median recurrence-free interval was 19.3 (range, 1-106) months. The prevailing signs and symptoms were obstructive nephropathy, sacral pain and bowel obstruction. Sixteen (50%) patients had loco-regional recurrence alone, 12 (27.5%) loco-regional plus distant recurrence, and four (12.5%) distant recurrence alone. Treatment modalities included radiotherapy, chemotherapy and various surgical procedures. The 5-year survival rate was 35%, with 22 (68.7%) of the patients dead of disease at the end of follow-up. Univariate analysis demonstrated a significant worsening in survival with each of the following factors: loco-regional plus distant recurrence (p = 0.010), positive pelvic lymph nodes (p = 0.010), tumor size > or = 3 cm (p = 0.013), positive lymph vascular space involvement (p = 0.017) and RHND without bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (p = 0.042). In a multivariate analysis, extent of recurrent disease (locoregional alone versus loco-regional plus distant recurrence) and pelvic lymph node status (negative vs positive) at RHND were the only significant predictors of survival. Uremia was the most common cause of death. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent cervical carcinoma after RHND is a grave disease with unfavorable prognosis. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, extent of recurrent disease and pelvic lymph node status at RHND were significant predictors of survival.     

Prognostic factors in FIGO stage IB cervical cancer without lymph node metastasis and the role of adjuvant radiotherapy after radical hysterectomy

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and pathologic prognostic variables for disease free survival, overall survival and the role of adjuvant radiotherapy in FIGO stage IB cervical carcinoma without lymph node metastasis. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 393 patients with lymph node negative stage IB cervical cancer treated by type 3 hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy at the Hacettepe University Hospitals between 1980 and 1997. RESULTS: The disease free survival and overall survival were 87.6 and 91.0%, respectively. In univariate analysis, tumor size, depth of invasion, vaginal involvement, lympho-vascular space involvement (LVSI) and adjuvant radiotherapy were found significant in disease free survival. Overall survival was affected by tumor size, LVSI, vaginal involvement and adjuvant radiotherapy. Tumor size, LVSI and vaginal involvement were found as independent prognostic factors for overall and disease free survival in multivariate analysis. Disease free survival, recurrence rate and site did not differ between patients underwent radical surgery and radical surgery plus radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: Tumor size, LVSI and vaginal involvement were independent prognostic factors in lymph node negative FIGO stage IB cervical cancer. Adjuvant radiotherapy in stage IB cervical cancer patients with negative nodes provides no survival advantage or better local tumoral control.     

Operative management of cervical cancer

Radical abdominal hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection remains the treatment of choice for most patients with early-stage cervical cancer. The radicality and extent of lymph node dissection and parametrial resection should be tailored to tumour- and patient-related risk factors. Adjuvant therapy after radical surgery improves local control in high-risk patients and some intermediate-risk patients. The absolute indications for adjuvant therapy include multiple or macroscopically involved nodes, parametrial invasion and positive surgical margins. Adjuvant therapy may be given as chemoradiation or as radiotherapy alone, depending on risk assessment and expected morbidity. Primary chemoradiation is an equally effective alternative, but adjuvant surgery or finishing hysterectomy after pelvic radiation is not beneficial. Promising new developments include neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery for bulky early-stage disease, tailoring radicality to reduce therapeutic morbidity and integrating minimal access surgical techniques into current treatment protocols.     

子宫颈鳞癌Ⅰb～Ⅱa期患者预后预测系统的建立及其临床意义

目的分析子宫颈鳞癌Ⅰb~Ⅱa期患者的预后影响因素并建立预后预测系统,以探讨其在指导术后辅助治疗中的作用。方法回顾性分析接受手术治疗的306例Ⅰb~Ⅱa期宫颈鳞癌患者的临床病理资料,对影响其预后的因素进行单因素和多因素分析。结果306例患者的5年生存率为78 1%。单因素分析结果显示,与其预后有关的因素为淋巴结转移、病理分化程度、肿瘤直径、宫旁组织浸润、深肌层浸润和脉管内瘤栓(P<0 05);多因素分析结果显示,淋巴结转移、深肌层浸润、宫旁组织浸润是影响其预后的独立危险因素(P<0 05)。根据危险因素的不同建立预后预测系统,即将患者分为低危组、中危组和高危组3组,其5年生存率分别为90 3%、83 9%和43 1%。低危组(无危险因素或仅宫旁组织浸润)局部复发的发生率仅为2 2%;中危组(深肌层浸润或合并有宫旁组织浸润)局部复发的发生率为13 5%,远处转移的发生率为1 3%, 局部复发合并远处转移的发生率为0 6%;高危组(淋巴结转移或合并其他危险因素)局部复发和远处转移的发生率分别为25 9%和48 3%,局部复发合并远处转移的发生率为10 3%。结论淋巴结转移、深肌层浸润、宫旁组织浸润是影响Ⅰb~Ⅱa期宫颈鳞癌患者预后的独立因素;根据预后影响因素建立的预后预测系统有助于指导术后辅助治疗。     

Multivariate analysis of the prognostic factors and outcomes in early cervical cancer patients undergoing radical hysterectomy

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to identify pathologic and clinical risk factors that best predicted 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) among patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma, treated by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. METHODS: The records of 197 patients with early-stage invasive cervical carcinoma who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy from 1990 to 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical and pathologic variables including age, tumor size (TS), clinical stage, depth of invasion (DI), lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI), cell type, tumor grade, lymph node metastases (LNM), parametrial invasion, surgical margin involvement, and pattern of adjuvant therapy were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods to define those variables that best predicted RFS. RESULTS: Outer 1/3 invasion, LVSI, and LNM were identified as independent poor prognostic factors, which were used to define three prognostic groups: patients (n = 104) with good prognoses (LVSI (-) and LNM (-)), patients (n = 46) with intermediate prognoses (either LVSI (+) without outer 1/3 invasion or LNM (+) without LVSI), and patients (n = 47) with poor prognoses (LVSI (+) patients with outer 1/3 invasion). The estimated 3-year RFS for patients with LVSI and deeply invasive tumors regardless of nodal status and/or nodal metastases receiving adjuvant CT + RT was significantly greater than that for patients who received only adjuvant radiotherapy (80% vs. 49%, P = 0.048 in the group of patients with LVSI and deeply invasive tumors with positive nodes and without positive nodes; 87% vs. 36%, P = 0.013 in the group of patients with LVSI and deeply invasive tumors with positive nodes only). CONCLUSIONS: The multivariate analysis and prognostic grouping system maximally separated patients with early-stage invasive cervical carcinoma into groups with good, intermediate, or poor prognoses, with 3-year RFSs of 90%, 82%, 67%; and 5-year RFSs of 89%, 69%, 43%, respectively. CT + RT played a role in improving RFS among patients with LVSI and deeply invasive tumors and poor prognoses.     

Management of early-stage cervical carcinoma by modified (Type II) radical hysterectomy

OBJECTIVE:. Surgical management of cervical carcinoma by radical hysterectomy has been proven a highly effective method in treating early-stage disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of modified (Type II) radical hysterectomy for the treatment of early-stage (I-IIA) cervical carcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of data on 435 patients with cervical carcinoma who were managed by modified radical hysterectomy was performed. In 145 cases a multimodal approach was used due to the presence of one or more risk factors such as lymph node metastasis, CLS involvement, bulky tumor, and exocervical extension of disease. Preoperative irradiation was offered to 62 patients, whereas adjuvant irradiation was offered to 101 patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 42.5 years. The majority of the patients had squamous cell cancer (81.6%). The patients were clinically staged as IA (3.2%), IB (86.7%), and IIA (10.1%). Positive pelvic lymph nodes were noted in 65 patients (14.9%). Operative morbidity was minimal, whereas adjuvant radiation treatment had no impact on the disease but caused genitourinary morbidity in terms of ureteral stricture and postoperative bladder dysfunction (P < 0.001). The overall 5-year survival was 88.7%. The most significant predictors related to 5-year survival were nodal metastasis (P < 0.001), adenomatous histology (P < 0.001), lesion size (P < 0.001), and CLS involvement (P = 0.004). Adjuvant radiation resulted in better local pelvic control of the disease. CONCLUSION: The results of our study support the concept that less radical procedures could be effectively applied to early-stage cervical carcinoma 4 cm or smaller with optimal surgical margins.     

Influence of diabetes mellitus and nodal distribution in endometrial cancer and correlation to clinico-pathological prognostic factors

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the relationships between the distribution of nodal disease, clinico-pathological patterns and recurrence and survival in surgically staged cases of endometrial cancer. METHODS: Charts were abstracted from patients with endometrial carcinoma from 1985 to 1995. Data on clinicopathologic variables, adjuvant treatment, site of recurrence and survival were collected. The chi square test was used to test associations between variables. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and Cox's proportional hazards model for multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Sixty-nine out of 181 patients underwent lymph node dissection. Twenty-three had pelvic lymph node dissection, 23 underwent pelvic and paraaortic lymph node dissection and 20 patients had lymph node sampling. The median count of removed lymph nodes was 22.4. Fifty-four lymph node dissections showed negative lymph nodes and in 15 cases there was a minimum of one positive lymph node. Overall survival was in correlation to nodal involvement with a p value of 0.0017. Patients with lymph node involvement showed significantly more recurrence than patients with negative lymph nodes (p = 0.003). The depth of myometrial invasion correlated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.01) and patients with additional diabetes mellitus showed significantly more nodal involvement (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Endometrial cancer showed pelvic lymph node (PLN) and paraaortic lymph node (PALN) involvement. Under-diagnosis of the disease might result if there was only a PLN, but with or without PALN involvement there was no significant difference in overall survival or recurrence. There was an univariate correlation between lymph node involvement and diabetes.     

High-risk group in node-positive patients with stage IB, IIA, and IIB cervical carcinoma after radical hysterectomy and postoperative pelvic irradiation

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to identify risk factors in patients with node-positive stage IB, IIA, and IIB cervical carcinoma after radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection and postoperative irradiation. METHODS: Two hundred forty-two patients with FIGO stage IB, IIA, and IIB cervical carcinoma underwent radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection; pathological analysis of the surgical specimen showed positive lymph nodes in 59 patients. These 59 patients were further treated with postoperative radiotherapy. Eighteen patients were in stage IB, 4 in stage IIA, and 37 in stage IIB. Histological tumor type, tumor size, lymph-vascular space invasion, parametrium infiltration, number of positive nodes, and involvement of common iliac nodes were assessed for correlation with cancer recurrence. RESULTS: When all these variables were assessed in the Cox proportional regression analysis, parametrium infiltration (P = 0. 0199) and number of positive nodes (two or more nodes) (P = 0.0483) revealed the factor correlating significantly with disease-specific survival. Based on these two factors, node-positive patients could be divided into low-risk (n = 11), intermediate-risk (n = 29), and high-risk (n = 19) groups. The 5-year disease-specific survival for the low-risk group was 100% which was significantly better than the 39.1% for the high-risk group (P = 0.0012). CONCLUSION: For patients in the high-risk group, it may be worthwhile to consider new strategies to improve survival.     

Invasive cervical cancer complicating intrauterine pregnancy: treatment with radical hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection have become the mainstay of treatment for early-stage cervical cancer because of both a high success rate and acceptable morbidity. However, those cervical lesions that occur concomitant with an intrauterine pregnancy have historically been treated with irradiation. We report the morbidity and results of radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection for the treatment of early-stage cervical cancer complicating intrauterine pregnancy. METHODS: Between 1955-1991, 13 patients were treated with radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection with the fetus in situ, and eight others with cesarean delivery followed by radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection. Charts were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Mean operative time was 281 minutes. The mean blood loss was 777 mL with radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection alone, and 1750 mL with cesarean delivery, radical hysterectomy, and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection (P less than .01). Intraoperative morbidity included a single accidental cystotomy that was complicated in the postoperative period by a vesicovaginal fistula. Fever was the most common postoperative cause of morbidity (29%), while two patients (10%) had wound seromas and a single patient (5%) each had a pulmonary embolism, cystitis, and transfusion-related hepatitis. No perioperative deaths occurred. After documentation of maturity, seven healthy infants were delivered with no major morbidity. Twenty patients (95%) are alive and free of disease with a mean follow-up of 40 months. CONCLUSION: Radical surgery offers immediate treatment for early-stage cervical cancer during intrauterine pregnancy, with low associated morbidity, acceptable survival, and preservation of ovarian function.     

Early invasive cervical cancer with pelvic lymph node involvement: to complete or not to complete radical hysterectomy?

The completion of radical hysterectomy in the face of pelvic lymph node involvement presents a dilemma for the surgeon. Some believe it is appropriate to abort the hysterectomy to avoid the excessive morbidity of combined treatment; others believe that completion of the hysterectomy enhances survival. This study was undertaken to define the impact of completing radical hysterectomy followed by adjuvant radiation therapy upon patient survival or pelvic control. Fifteen patients with stage IB and IIA invasive cervical cancer whose radical hysterectomies were aborted solely for reasons of pelvic lymph node involvement were compared to a control group of 15 patients matched for tumor size and number of lymph nodes involved whose radical hysterectomies were completed. Both groups were treated with radiation therapy postoperatively. Survival was not different between groups (P = 0.81). Unexpectedly, local control was slightly improved in the group treated by radiation only (P = 0.127). If radiation therapy is anticipated, completion of radical hysterectomy followed by radiation therapy appears to offer no advantage over radiation therapy with the uterus in place in patients with early-stage invasive cervical cancer and pelvic lymph node involvement.     

Prognostic factors affecting disease-free survival in early-stage cervical cancer patients undergoing radical hysterectomy and pelvic-paraaortic lymphadenectomy

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to identfy surgical and histopathologic prognostic factors that could predict 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) after patients underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic-paraaortic lymphadenectomy for FIGO Stage I-II cervical carcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed for all patients undergoing primary radical hysterectomy and pelvic-paraaortic lymphadenectomy for Stage I-II cervical cancer at Ankara Oncology Hospital from 1995 to 2000. Clinical and pathologic variables including age, tumor size (TS), clinical stage, depth of invasion (DI), lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI), cell type, tumor grade, lymph node metastases (LNM), parametrial involvement, surgical margin involvement and pattern of adjuvant therapy were analyzed using univariate analyses. DFS was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Independent prognostic and predictive factors affecting DFS were assessed by the Cox proportional hazard method. RESULTS: Ninety-three patients underwent primary type III radical hysterectomy and pelvic-paraaortic lymphadenectomy. Five-year DFS was 87.1%. LVSI, parametrial involvement and grade were the prognostic factors that independently affected survival. DFS was not significantly different for age, disease status of the surgical margins, tumor size, depth of invasion, cell type, pelvic lymph node metastases and adjuvant radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: LVSI, parametrial invasion and histologic grade 2-3 were independent prognostic factors in early-stage cervical cancer patients. Adjuvant radiotherapy in these patients provides no survival advantage.     

Stromal invasion of the cervix can be excluded from the criteria for using adjuvant radiotherapy following radical surgery for patients with cervical cancer

BACKGROUND: Regarding complications of radiotherapy, the indications for adjuvant radiotherapy should be restricted. We conducted the present study to determine whether deep stromal invasion of the cervix could be excluded from the criteria used to identify patients for this treatment surgery. METHODS: This study included 115 patients with FIGO stage Ib to IIb cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection. Patients had the following tumors: 61 nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, 21 keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, 26 adenocarcinoma, and 7 adenosquamous cell carcinoma. Our study criteria for using adjuvant radiotherapy included positive lymph node involvement, a compromised surgical margin, or parametrial extension. Deep stromal invasion of the cervix was excluded from the criteria in this study. RESULTS: Seventy-two of the 115 patients (62.6%) underwent radical surgery only and all were alive. The remaining 43 patients received a complete course of external irradiation following radical surgery. The estimated 5-year survival rate is 100% for patients with stage Ib, 93.3% for stage IIa, and 52.7% for stage IIb. Fifty-five patients (47.8%) had deep stromal invasion. The prognosis for patients with deep stromal invasion was significantly worse than that for patients without deep stromal invasion (5-year survival rate, 69.8% vs. 98.0%). However, 21 patients (18.3%) with deep stromal invasion, but without positive lymph node involvement, compromised surgical margin, or parametrial extension, were alive without recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that lymph node involvement and parametrial extension were independent prognostic factors, but that deep stromal invasion was not. CONCLUSION: Deep stromal invasion of the cervix can be excluded from the list of criteria for selecting patients with cervical cancer who would benefit from adjuvant radiotherapy following radical surgery.     

Long-term results of maximally aggressive trimodality therapy in a high-risk subset of early-stage cervical cancer patients

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term survival and treatment-related morbidity associated with treating patients who have early-stage cervical carcinoma metastatic to the paraaortic lymph nodes with radical hysterectomy, pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy, and adjuvant, extended field chemoradiation with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). STUDY DESIGN: From 1988 to 1997, 14 consecutive patients referred to Radiological Associates of Sacramento following radical hysterectomy and pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy with findings of clinical stage IB or IIA cervical cancer and histologically confirmed lymph node metastasis to the common iliac or paraaortic distributions were treated with adjuvant, extended field chemoradiation utilizing prolonged infusion 5-FU and bolus cisplatin. Retrospective chart review was performed, and survival and morbidity information were analyzed. Recurrence was assessed among patients based on age, race, total number of nodes involved, gross vs. microscopic nodal involvement, squamous vs. nonsquamous tumor histology, time to initiation of adjuvant treatment and time required to complete that treatment. Calculated 5-year survival, mean survival, morbidity type and incidence are reported for the group as a whole. RESULTS: Calculated 5-year survival of patients in this series was 38% by life table analysis. Median survival was 4.4 years; 50% of patients had a recurrence. None of the examined parameters were significant predictors of recurrence. There was 1 treatment-related death and a second case of severe treatment-related morbidity (radiation enteritis requiring colostomy and bilateral ureteral stenosis requiring bilateral nephrostomies). There were 6 cases of minor treatment-related toxicity occurring in 5 of 14 (36%) treated patients. CONCLUSION: In general, survival in the current series of patients was akin to that in clinically similar patients treated with chemoradiation alone. Morbidity among our patients was significant. In the presence of positive paraaortic lymph nodes there were no independent predictors of recurrence among the pathologic or treatment parameters examined.     

Overall 5-year survival rate and prognostic factors in patients with stage IB and IIA cervical cancer treated by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection

Abstract. Kim SM, Choi HS, Byun JS. Overall 5-year survival rate and prognostic factors in patients with stage IB and IIA cervical cancer treated by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection.
The objective of this paper was to analyze the 5-year survival rate and prognostic factors for stage Ib and IIa cervical cancer treated by radical hysterectomy. A total of 366 patients with invasive cervical cancer treated by radical hysterectomy from June 1985 to June 1994 at Chonnam National University Hospital, Kwangju, Korea were retrospectively analyzed. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The overall 5-year survival rate was 92% in stage Ib and 87% in stage IIa. Factors assessed for prognostic value included age, FIGO stage, cell type, tumor size, depth of invasion, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), and pelvic lymph node metastases (LNM). In the multivariate analysis, age, cell type, and lymph node metastases were independent predictors of survival. Lower survival was associated with age greater than 50 years, adenocarcinoma, and presence of lymph node metastases. The higher survival rates in patients with single lymph node involvement or lymph node metastases below the level of the common iliac nodes (85 and 84.6%, respectively) versus multiple or extrapelvic lymph node metastases (50 and 20%, respectively) were statistically significant ( P < 0.01). In conclusion, patients who had lymph node metastases, adenocarcinoma, and were older than 50 years had a poorer survival rate. Such patients require more intense postoperative treatment and closer surveillance. Low-risk patients with a single lymph node metastasis below the level of the common iliac nodes may benefit from thorough lymphadenectomy without adjuvant therapy to prevent unpleasant complications.     

淋巴结转移的Ⅰb 1～Ⅱb期子宫颈癌患者手术后的综合治疗及预后分析

目的研究淋巴结转移的Ⅰb1～Ⅱb期宫颈癌患者广泛性子宫切除加盆腔淋巴结切除术后综合治疗的方式和预后。方法选取1990年1月至2003年6月复旦大学附属肿瘤医院接受手术治疗的Ⅰb1～Ⅱb期淋巴结转移的宫颈癌患者215例。所有患者均接受了广泛性子宫切除加盆腔淋巴结切除术。根据术后治疗情况将患者分为4组：放疗加化疗组（107例）、放疗组（45例）、化疗组（22例）和无辅助治疗组（41例）。通过比较4组患者的临床病理资料,对患者预后及可能影响预后的有关因素进行分析。结果放疗加化疗组、化疗组、放疗组和无辅助治疗组患者的3年无瘤生存率分别为60．7％、53．5％、47．4％和36．0％,放疗加化疗组患者的3年无瘤生存率显著高于无辅助治疗组,两组比较,差异有统计学意义（P=0．001）,而化疗组、放疗组的3年无瘤生存率分别与无辅助治疗组比较,差异无统计学意义（P值分别为0．060和0．159）。放疗加化疗组、化疗组、放疗组和无辅助治疗组患者的盆腔复发率分别为7．5％、22．7％、26．7％和34．1％,远处转移率分别为16．8％、18．2％、15．6％和22．0％,复发合并转移率分别为4．7％、0、4．4％和7．3％。放疗加化疗组盆腔复发率显著低于其余3组,与其余3组比较,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）,而远处转移率、复发合并转移率与其余3组比较,差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。多因素分析显示,肿瘤直径、病理类型、淋巴结转移数目和术后辅助治疗是影响淋巴结转移的宫颈癌患者预后的重要因素（P〈0．05）。结论淋巴结转移的宫颈癌患者根治性手术后辅助放、化疗能提高3年无瘤生存率,降低盆腔复发率。     

Contribution of the sentinel node procedure to tailoring the radicality of hysterectomy for cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE: The required radicality of hysterectomy for women with early-stage cervical cancer is controversial owing to the risk of severe complications. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of the sentinel node (SN) procedure to tailoring the radicality of hysterectomy in women with cervical cancer. METHODS: Between April 2001 and December 2005, 54 patients with early-stage or locally advanced cervical cancer underwent laparoscopic sentinel node (SN) biopsy based on combined patent blue and radiocolloid detection. Thirty-nine patients with early-stage cervical cancer underwent a laparoscopic SN procedure with complete pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical hysterectomy. Moreover, 15 women with locally advanced cervical cancer underwent an SN procedure with pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy before concurrent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. RESULTS: The SN detection rate was 83.3%. The detection rate was higher in women with early-stage disease (90%) than in women with more advanced disease (66.6%) (p=0.03). At final histology, 14 metastatic SN were found in 11 (21.3%) of the 54 patients. They comprised macrometastases in 6 SN, micrometastases in 5 SN, and isolated tumour cells in 3 SN. Parametrial involvement with negative sentinel nodes was found in 15.1% of cases. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of intraoperative imprint cytology were 20%, 100%, 100%, 79.5% and 80.5%, respectively. Among the 39 women with early cervical cancer, five (12.8%) had parametrial involvement. In univariate analysis, parametrial involvement was significantly associated with large tumour size, advanced-stage disease, positive pelvic lymph nodes and lymphovascular space involvement. Parametrial involvement tended to be associated with positive sentinel nodes. CONCLUSION: These results underline the contribution of the SN procedure to evaluating lymph node status. However, intraoperative imprint cytology appeared poorly accurate, and further histological or biological tools are needed to evaluate SN status and, hence, to tailor the radicality of hysterectomy.     

早期宫颈鳞癌患者盆腔淋巴结转移的相关因素分析

目的:探讨早期宫颈鳞状细胞癌患者盆腔淋巴结转移的危险因素。方法:回顾分析152例行手术治疗的ⅠB~ⅡA期宫颈鳞癌患者的临床资料,分析患者的年龄、临床分期、肿瘤细胞分化程度、宫颈间质浸润深度、肿瘤直径大小、脉管癌栓、术前血清宫颈鳞状上皮抗原(SCC-Ag)水平、治疗前血浆纤维蛋白原(FⅠB)水平及D-二聚体水平9个指标与盆腔淋巴结转移的关系。结果:152例ⅠB~ⅡA期宫颈鳞癌患者中20例存在盆腔淋巴结转移(13.16%)。单因素分析结果显示,宫颈间质浸润深度、肿瘤直径、脉管癌栓、术前血清SCC-Ag水平及血浆FⅠB水平与盆腔淋巴结转移有关,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);淋巴结阳性患者的血浆D-二聚体水平高于阴性患者,但差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。多因素分析结果显示,脉管癌栓、术前血清SCC-Ag及血浆FⅠB水平与盆腔淋巴结转移相关,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:脉管癌栓、术前血清SCC-Ag水平及治疗前血浆FⅠB水平是ⅠB~ⅡA期宫颈鳞癌患者盆腔淋巴结转移的独立危险因素,而术前D-二聚体水平与盆腔淋巴结转移之间的关系,尚需进一步研究。     

Isolated full-thickness cervical stromal invasion warrants post-hysterectomy pelvic radiotherapy in FIGO stages IB-IIA uterine cervical carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential benefit of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in women with isolated full-thickness cervical stromal invasion (FTSI) as an unfavorable pathological finding after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) in FIGO stages IB-IIA cervical carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 1868 patients with stages IB-IIA cervical carcinoma underwent radical hysterectomy and PLND between January 1982 and December 2002. Seventy-four of these patients had isolated FTSI without any other unfavorable pathological finding, such as lymph node metastasis, microscopic parametrial involvement, involved resection margin, lympho-vascular space invasion, or large clinical tumor diameter (>4 cm). Forty-one of these patients had no adjuvant treatment (S group) and 33 received PORT (PORT group). Patients with isolated FTSI who received chemotherapy were excluded. Treatment outcomes in the PORT and S groups were compared. RESULTS: Ten-year disease-free survival (DFS) and pelvic-failure-free survival (PFFS) of S group vs. PORT group were 73.2% vs. 92.4% (P=0.038) and 79.8% vs. 97.0% (P=0.044), respectively. According to a Cox proportional hazards model developed by forward, stepwise regression incorporating all prognostic variables, only PORT was marginally significant for DFS (RR 0.234; 95% CI 0.051-1.067; P=0.061) and significant for PFFS (RR 0.055; 95% CI 0.005-0.620; P=0.019). A grade 4 late complication developed in two patients (6%) in PORT group. CONCLUSION: PORT administered to patients with isolated FTSI after radical hysterectomy and PLND improves pelvic control in FIGO stages IB-IIA cervical carcinoma with acceptable morbidity.     

Sentinel lymphatic mapping among women with early-stage cervical cancer: A systematic review

The presence of pelvic lymph node metastases is without doubt the most significant prognostic factor that determines recurrences and survival of women with early-stage cervical cancer. To avoid the underdiagnosis of lymph node metastasis, pelvic lymphadenectomy procedure is routinely performed with radical hysterectomy procedure. However, the pelvic lymphadenectomy procedure may not be necessary in most of these women due to the relatively low incidence of pelvic lymph node metastasis. The removal of large numbers of pelvic lymph nodes could also render non-metastatic irreversible damages for these women, including vessel, nerve, or ureteral injuries; formation of lymphocysts; and lymphedema. Over the past decades, the concept of sentinel lymph node biopsy has emerged as a popular and widespread surgical technique for the evaluation of the pelvic lymph node status in gynecologic malignancies. The histological status of sentinel lymph node should be representative for all other lymph nodes in the regional drainage area. If metastasis is non-existent in the sentinel lymph node, the likelihood of metastatic spread in the remaining regional lymph nodes is very low. Further lymphadenectomy is therefore not necessary for a patient with negative sentinel lymph nodes. Since the uterine cervix has several lymphatic drainage pathways, it is a challenging task to assess the distribution pattern of sentinel lymph nodes in women with early-stage cervical cancer. This review article will adapt the methodology proposed in these studies to systematically review sentinel lymphatic mapping among women with early-stage cervical cancer.