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.     

Association between CD31 expression and histopathologic features in stage IB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix

This study was undertaken to evaluate the association between the expression of CD31 in the tumor and the histopathologic findings in patients with carcinoma of the cervix. This study included prospectively 30 women, aged 46.6 +/- 10.7 years, with stage IB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix submitted to radical hysterectomy from November 2001 to September 2002. Samples from the tumor were taken and immunohistochemically evaluated by a monoclonal antibody for CD31. Clinicopathologic characteristics such as stage, tumor size, grade of differentiation, lymphatic vascular space invasion (LVSI), parametrial involvement, and status of pelvic lymph nodes were also recorded. The clinical stage (FIGO) was IB1 in 22 patients (73.3%) and IB2 in 8 patients (26.7%). The expression of CD31 was significantly associated with tumor size and the presence of LVSI, but not with grade of differentiation and vaginal or parametrial involvement (P= 0.03, P= 0.032, P= 0.352, P= 0.208, and P= 0.242, respectively). On univariate analysis, the presence of pelvic lymph node metastasis was influenced by LVSI (P= 0.003) and CD31 expression (P= 0.032). However, on multivariate analysis, the presence of LVSI (P= 0.007) was the only independent predictor of pelvic lymph node metastasis. The CD31 expression in tumor is significantly associated with LVSI and tumor size in patients with early-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.     

Missing association between telomerase activity and clinicopathological features in patients with early stage carcinoma of the cervix

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to evaluate the association between the telomerase activity in the tumor and clinicopathological findings in patients with stage IB-IIA (FIGO) carcinoma of the cervix. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with carcinoma of the cervix submitted to radical hysterectomy were prospectively from January 1998 to November 2001. Samples from the tumor were taken and analyzed by the telomerase PCR-TRAP-ELISA kit. Clinicopathological characteristics such as age, stage, tumor size, grade of differentiation, lymphatic vascular space invasion (LVSI), parametrial involvement and status of pelvic lymph nodes were also recorded. RESULTS: Patient's mean age was 49.3+/-1.99 years (29-76 years). The clinical stage (FIGO) was IB in 35 patients (92.1%) and IIA in 3 patients (7.9%). The histological classification identified squamous cell carcinoma in 33 patients (86.8%) and adenocarcinoma in 5 patients (13.2%). There was no association between age, clinical stage, histological classification, tumor size, grade of differentiation and presence of LVSI with tumoral telomerase activity. The telomerase activity was not associated with the presence of vaginal involvement (P=0.349), parametrium involvement (P=0.916), pelvic lymph node metastasis (P=0.988) or tumoral recurrence (P=0.328) in patients with carcinoma of the cervix. CONCLUSIONS: Telomerase activity in the tumor is not associated with clinicopathological findings or tumor recurrence in patients with early stage cervical carcinoma.     

Lymphocyte-infiltrated FIGO Stage IIB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix is a prominent factor for disease-free survival.

BACKGROUND: The data of histopathological factors affecting prognosis of patients with FIGO Stage IIB squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix are rarely known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the histopathological factors rendering therapeutic failure in patients with FIGO Stage IIB. METHODS: Survival and prognostic factors were analyzed in 83 patients with FIGO stage IIB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix treated with radical hysterectomy and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy between 1980 and 1989. The relapse-free and overall survival rate was 61.4%. RESULTS: Univariate analysis demonstrated that the degree of lymphoreticular cells infiltrating the cervix, lymph node metastases, barrel shape of the cervix, lymph-vascular space invasion, more than three lymph nodes involved, and bulky tumor size (i.e. tumor size larger than 4 cm) were of prognostic significance in disease-free survival. However, pronounced lymphoreticular cells infiltrating the cervical cancer was the only independent factor to disease-free survival in patients with FIGO stage IIB squamous cell carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection using multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the immune function of the host might play a crucial role in the process of anti-neoplasm even if local advanced carcinoma of the cervix is noted. Individual therapies may very well have limited efficacy based on the patient's tumor or the inherent host response. How to strengthen the power of the host's immune system may offer another thinking process to treat such a subgroup of patients. More studies are required.     

Prognostic significance of single versus multiple lymph node metastases in cervical carcinoma stage IB

From January 1, 1970, to December 31, 1985, 51 patients with stage IB (FIGO) carcinoma of the cervix with lymph node metastases were treated at the University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. The survival rate was 54% and the average duration of follow-up was 78 months (range 47-132). Important clinical variables for survival were investigated retrospectively: the survival rate in patients with a single lymph node metastasis (with tumor confined to the node itself) (n = 23) appeared to be much better than that of patients with multiple node involvement and/or single nodes with extranodular tumor infiltration (n = 28); survival was 85 and 24%, respectively (P less than 0.001). The same applied to patients with only occult lymph node involvement: the survival rate in patients with occult involvement of the hypogastric, external iliac, or obturator nodes was 87% in 19 patients with a single metastasis and 53% in 15 patients with multiple node involvement (P less than 0.02). The survival rate in 8 patients with adenomatous histological components was 42%. In 42 patients with squamous cell carcinoma, the survival rate was 56%. This difference was not statistically significant. Treatment complications and the effect of treatment on the site of recurrence were investigated.     

Identifying local tumor variables for operable node-negative, margin-free patients with bulky cervical carcinoma of FIGO stage IB, IIA and IIB without adjuvant therapies

PURPOSE: To identify local risk factors for FIGO IB, IIA and IIB bulky cervical squamous cell carcinoma (tumor size > or = 4 cm) patients with node-negative, margin-free tumors treated by radical hysterectomy, pelvic lymph node and para-aortic lymph node dissections without adjuvant therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four patients were recruited between 1976 and 1989 because they all declined any postoperative adjuvant therapy. The pathology reports showed that all the specimen margins were free from cancer cells with no para-aortic or pelvic lymph node metastases. The survival interval was calculated starting from the time of surgical intervention to the time of death or the end of this study in the year 2000. RESULT: Tumor variables including cell differentiation, depth of stromal invasion, parametrial invasion, vaginal invasion, uterine body invasion, age, and FIGO stage were analyzed. Only vaginal invasion showed statistical significance for decreasing patient disease-free survival in both univariate and multivariate analyses with p values of 0.003 and 0.002, respectively. CONCLUSION: For node-negative and margin-free patients with bulky cervical squamous cell carcinoma with operable stage IB and IIB, surgical intervention alone could suffice when no vaginal invasion is noted plus an 85% survival rate could be achieved. A prospective pilot study should be initiated although this study showed an excellent survival rate which is perhaps due to the limited number of cases.     

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix: prognosis in stage IB

The outcome of women with adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix has been a controversial issue. To assess the prognostic significance of this cell type, the medical records of 29 patients with stage IB primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix were reviewed. Twenty-six had cervical tumors measuring 3 cm or less. With a median follow-up of 60 months, the overall disease-free 5-year survival was 85%. Pelvic lymph node metastases were found in three of 19 patients (16%) with stage IB, and periaortic lymph nodes were negative in eight. A log-likelihood chi 2 test comparing lymphatic spread, recurrence rate, and 5-year disease-free survival in patients with stage IB disease and tumors less than 3 cm versus a similar group of 58 patients with pure squamous cell carcinoma of equivalent stage and comparable size treated during the same time disclosed no significant differences in any of the indicators analyzed. We conclude that stage IB adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix does not differ in its metastatic potential or outcome from the more common pure squamous cell carcinoma.     

Multivariate analysis of histopathologic prognostic factors for invasive cervical cancer treated with radical hysterectomy and systematic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify the independent histopathologic prognostic factors for patients with cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy including paraaortic lymphadenectomy. METHODS: A total of 187 patients with stage IB to IIB cervical carcinomas treated with radical hysterectomy and systematic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The median follow-up period was 83 months. Cox regression analysis was used to select independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: Using multivariate Cox regression analysis, lymph node (LN) status (negative vs. metastasis to pelvic nodes except for common iliac nodes vs. common iliac/paraaortic node metastasis), histopathologic parametrial invasion, lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI), and histology of pure adenocarcinoma were found to be independently related to patients' poor survival. For patients who had a tumor histologically confined to the uterus and have neither parametrial invasion nor lymph node metastasis, LVSI was the most important prognostic factor, and histologic type, depth of cervical stromal invasion, and tumor size were not related to survival. The survival of patients with a tumor extending to parametrium or pelvic lymph node(s) was adversely affected by histology of pure adenocarcinoma. When the tumor extended to common iliac or paraaortic nodes, patients' survival became quite poor irrespective of LVSI or histologic type of pure adenocarcinoma. Patients' prognosis could be stratified into low risk (patients with a tumor confined to the uterus not associated with LVSI: n = 80), intermediate risk (patients with a tumor confined to the uterus associated with positive LVSI, and patients with squamous/adenosquamous carcinoma associated with pelvic lymph node metastasis or parametrial invasion: n = 86), and high risk (patients with pure adenocarcinoma associated with pelvic lymph node metastasis or parametrial invasion, and patients with common iliac/paraaortic node metastasis: n = 21) with an estimated 5-year survival rate of 100 +/- 0 (mean +/- SE)%, 85.5 +/- 3.9%, and 25.1 +/- 9.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: LN status, parametrial invasion, LVSI, and histology of pure adenocarcinoma are important histopathologic prognostic factors of cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and systematic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. Prognosis for patients with cervical carcinoma may be stratified by combined analysis of these histopathologic prognostic factors. Postoperative therapy needs to be individualized according to these prognostic factors and validated for its efficacy using randomized clinical trials.     

Prognostic factors in surgically treated stage IB–IIB carcinoma of the cervix with negative lymph nodes

Comerci G, Bolger BS, Flannelly G, Maini M, de Barros Lopes A, Monaghan JM. Prognostic factors in surgically treated stage IB–IIB carcinoma of the cervix with negative lymph nodes. Int J Gynecol Cancer 1998; 8: 23–26.
Two hundred and seventy-five females with stage IB–IIB negative lymph node cervical cancer, treated between January 1988 and December 1994 by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection, form the basis of this analysis. The clinical records were reviewed for all patients including histopathology, clinical features at presentation, and follow-up. Tumors were re-staged according to the 1995 FIGO classification.
Median follow-up was 55 months and 85.8% were followed for longer than two years. There were 21 recurrences, 12 of which were true central recurrence (disease-free survival at 5 years: 91.66%). Fifteen of 25 deaths were due to cervical cancer (crude survival at 5 years: 93.27%). In univariate log-rank analysis, stage ( P = 0.005), tumor size ( P = 0.0002), and lymph-vascular space involvement (LVSI) ( P = 0.01) appeared to be statistically significant factors for tumor recurrence. Other factors including age, histology type, differentiation, adjacent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia, and presence of intraepithelial disease at resection margin were not found to be statistically significant. In multivariate analysis (Cox regression) tumor size ( P = 0.02) and LVSI ( P = 0.03) were the only independent variables. In the presence of negative lymph nodes and complete surgical excision, tumor size and LVSI are important predictors of local recurrence.     

局部晚期宫颈癌100例淋巴结转移特点及临床分析

目的：探索局部晚期（ⅠB2/ⅡA2期）宫颈癌的淋巴结转移特点及新辅助化疗对预后及并发症发生率的影响。方法：回顾性分析2008年1月-2016年12月南京医科大学第一附属医院收治的424例ⅠA2～ⅡA2期宫颈鳞癌或腺癌患者的临床资料,随访每位患者的生存情况,比较局部晚期宫颈癌患者淋巴结转移情况及新辅助化疗和直接手术患者在手术并发症及预后方面的差异。结果：共424例宫颈癌患者纳入研究,100例局部晚期宫颈癌患者中有68例直接行根治性手术治疗,32例先行1～2次介入或静脉新辅助化疗后行宫颈癌根治术,术后病理提示盆腔淋巴结转移者20例,没有发现腹主动脉旁淋巴结转移。单因素分析提示深肌层浸润、淋巴脉管间隙浸润（lymph vascular space invasion,LVSI）与淋巴结转移相关（P＜0.05）;组织学类型、分化程度、是否行新辅助化疗与淋巴结转移无关（P＞0.05）。将有统计学意义的单因素进行Logistic回归分析显示,LVSI为淋巴结转移的独立危险因素（P＜0.05）。新辅助化疗组淋巴结转移率为22.2％,手术组则为17.2％,2组比较差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。总生存期及无瘤生存期方面,局部晚期宫颈癌明显低于早期者。新辅助化疗组的术后感染发生率较低,手术时间和腹腔引流管留置时间较短,但2组差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）,而术中输尿管支架置入率、输血率、其他相邻脏器损伤的发生率2组相似。结论：局部晚期宫颈癌预后较早期差,淋巴结转移率明显高于早期,盆腔淋巴结转移主要与LVSI及深肌层浸润有关。新辅助化疗对局部晚期宫颈癌的影响尚不明确,也没有证据证明新辅助化疗影响盆腔淋巴结转移的检出率,在手术相关并发症的发生率方面还需更大样本或多中心的研究。     

Overexpression of the c-Met/HGF receptor and its prognostic significance in uterine cervix carcinomas

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the significance of the c-Met/hepatocyte growth factor receptor expression in invasive cervical carcinoma. METHODS: Ninety-Four patients with FIGO stage 1B disease, treated primarily with surgery, were studied immunohistochemically. Of the cases, 67 were squamous carcinoma and 27 were nonsquamous (10 were adenocarcinoma, 15 were adenosquamous carcinoma, and 2 were indifferentiated carcinoma). Immunohistochemically stained c-Met slides of primary malignancies were evaluated blindly of clinical outcome and other histopathological factors. RESULTS: Overexpression of c-Met was found in 56 of 94 specimens. Primary tumors which show recurrences were found to be c-Met overexpressors. Univariate survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier) showed that c-Met overexpression is significantly correlated with disease-free survival. Moreover the diameter of the primary tumor, deep cervical stromal invasion, presence of metastatic lymph node, number of metastatic lymph nodes and c-Met overexpression were significantly correlated with overall 5-year survival. Furthermore multivariant analysis with Cox regression showed that the presence of metastatic lymph node and immunopositivity for c-Met are significantly correlated with overall survival, while c-Met overexpression was found to be an independent variable for disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: These results reveal that c-Met oncogene overexpression is an important parameter for disease progression, recurrence, and survival in early-stage invasive uterine cervix carcinomas.     

Clear cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: pathology and prognosis in surgically treated stage IB-IIB disease in women not exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research was to compare the clinical behavior, pathology findings, and prognosis of surgically treated FIGO stage IB-IIB clear cell carcinomas of the cervix with those of squamous cell carcinomas and non-clear cell adenocarcinomas. METHODS: Fifteen patients with clear cell adenocarcinomas of the cervix (8 FIGO stage IB, 7 FIGO stage IIB) were reviewed. The control group consisted of 444 squamous cell carcinomas and 59 non-clear cell adenocarcinomas. None of the patients had a history of in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol. All patients underwent radical abdominal hysterectomy with systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy. All specimens were processed as serial giant frontal sections. The mean follow-up in the clear cell group was 83 (13-182) months. Statistical analysis was done with contingency tables, chi(2) tests, and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Twelve of the fifteen clear cell carcinomas (80%) were endophytic and tended toward deep cervical infiltration. Clear cell carcinomas extended to the uterine corpus significantly more often than squamous cell and non-clear cell adenocarcarcinomas (P < 0.001). The rates of parametrial involvement and pelvic lymph node involvement were 40 and 47%, respectively. Four patients (27%), all with positive pelvic nodes, developed recurrences an average of 14 (4-48) months after initial therapy. The extrapelvic sites of relapse were the lung, liver, and bone. Clear cell carcinomas had a worse 5-year survival rate (67%) than squamous cell carcinomas (80%) and non-clear cell adenocarcinomas (77%) but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.6). No significant differences were seen for age, growth pattern, parametrial and vaginal involvement, parametrial and pelvic lymph node metastases, frequency of recurrent disease, and time to first recurrence. CONCLUSION: The clinicopathologic findings and prognosis of surgically treated patients with stage IB-IIB clear cell carcinomas without exposure to diethylstilbestrol in utero are similar to those of patients with squamous cell carcinomas and non-clear cell adenocarcinomas.     

A comparison of prognoses of pathologic stage Ib adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix

OBJECTIVES: The influence of the histology of adenocarcinoma on recurrence and survival for patients treated with radical hysterectomy and diagnosed as having pathologic stage Ib cervical cancer was investigated. METHODS: Five hundred and nine patients (405 squamous cell carcinomas, 104 adenocarcinomas) with pathologic stage Ib cervical cancer treated initially at the Aichi Cancer Center between 1976 and 1995 were studied. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified the prognostic variables as histology of adenocarcinoma, number of lymph nodes involved, and tumor size beyond 4 cm. Five-year overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with adenocarcinoma in the presence of lymph node metastasis were 63.2 and 47.4%, respectively, significantly poorer than for squamous cell carcinoma (83.6 and 80.6%; P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). These were not different in the absence of lymph node metastasis (adenocarcinoma, 93.9 and 92.7%; squamous cell carcinoma, 97.9% and 96.1%; P = 0.067 and P = 0.250, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The independent significant risk factors for the recurrence and survival of pathologic stage Ib cervical cancer were the presence of lymph node metastasis, large tumor size beyond 4 cm, and histology of adenocarcinoma. The prognosis of patients with adenocarcinoma was poorer than of patients with squamous cell carcinoma in the presence of lymph node metastasis, while the prognosis of pathologic stage Ib cervical cancer was equivalent when there was no metastasis.     

早期子宫颈癌脉管间隙及宫旁浸润危险因素1245例分析

目的:探讨子宫颈癌淋巴脉管间隙浸润(lymph-vascular space invasion,LVSI)及宫旁浸润与其他临床病理因素的关系。方法:回顾性分析2009年1月至2019年1月期间于西安交通大学第一附属医院妇科接受手术治疗1245例早期子宫颈癌患者的临床资料,分别根据是否LVSI及宫旁浸润分为LVSI组、无LVSI组和宫旁浸润组、无宫旁浸润组,采用单因素和多因素Logistic回归分析脉管及宫旁浸润危险因素。结果:1245例LVSI率14.1%(175/1245),宫旁浸润率1.85%(23/1245)。单因素分析显示LVSI的发生与病灶类型、病理类型、肿瘤细胞分化程度、子宫颈浸润深度、淋巴转移、切缘阳性、宫旁浸润比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。根据淋巴转移情况分层分析发现,在淋巴未转移组LVSI的发生率与年龄、病灶类型、病理类型、子宫颈浸润深度比较,差异有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。Logistic回归分析显示病灶类型为内生型、病理为鳞癌、子宫颈深肌层浸润和淋巴转移相较于非内生型、非鳞癌、子宫颈浸润浅肌层、无淋巴转移早期子宫颈癌患者是发生LVSI的独立危险因素(OR>1,P<0.05)。单因素分析显示宫旁浸润与病灶类型、子宫颈浸润深度、累及阴道、累及宫体下段、切缘阳性、淋巴转移、LVSI有关(P<0.05)。Logistic回归分析示病灶类型为内生型、累及宫体下段、淋巴转移相较于非内生型、未累及宫体下段、无淋巴转移的早期子宫颈癌患者是发生宫旁浸润的独立危险因素(OR>1,P<0.05)。结论:子宫颈深肌层浸润、淋巴结转移、内生型的子宫颈鳞癌患者更可能发生LVSI;病灶类型为内生型、累及宫体下段、淋巴转移的患者更可能发生宫旁浸润。     

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.     

Tumor size, depth of invasion, and grading of the invasive tumor front are the main prognostic factors in early squamous cell cervical carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of clinical and histopathologic factors, including a new grading system focusing on the invasive tumor front. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of 125 surgically treated patients with squamous cell cervical carcinoma FIGO stage IB was conducted. For each tumor, the degree of keratinization, nuclear polymorphism, pattern of invasion, and degree of lymphoid infiltration at the invasive tumor front were graded and given scores between 1 and 4. RESULTS: Clinical tumor size, depth of invasion, and grading of the invasive front had prognostic significance in multivariate analysis, while lymph vascular space involvement, lymph node status, and grade of differentiation did not. Based on clinical tumor size, depth of invasion, and grading of the invasive tumor front, patients could be separated into three groups: One group with minimal risk of recurrence (5-year disease-free survival (DFS) of 100%) consisting of 24% of the patients, an intermediate group with a fairly low risk of recurrence (5-year DFS of about 92%), and a high risk group with a 5-year DFS of 45%. This latter group contained 26% of the patients with 78% of all relapses occurring in the total group of patients. The invasive tumor front grading was reliably reproducible, with inter- and intraobserver agreement of 79 to 87% and kappa values of 0.47 to 0.66. CONCLUSION: Clinical tumor size, depth of invasion, and grading of the invasive tumor front were the main predictors of prognosis in patients with stage IB squamous cell cancer of the cervix.     

A clinicopathological study on adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix

A total of 102 cases of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix were reviewed to define the clinical and pathological behavior. In the 18 years between 1970 and 1987 the incidence of cervical adenocarcinoma increased. The rate of lymph node involvement in stage Ib was 16.1% (5/31) and in stage II 26.2% (11/42). There was no difference between the rate of lymph node involvement in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The 5-year survival rates were as follows: stage I 83.3% (25/30), stage II 58.1% (18/31), stage III (0/4), stage IV (2/5), and all stages 64.3% (45/70). The 5-year survival rate for patients with adenocarcinoma was poor in contrast to that for patients with squamous cell carcinoma (p less than 0.05). It was suggested that adenocarcinoma was less radiosensitive than squamous cell carcinoma.     

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.     

Para-aortic node sampling in small (3-cm or less) stage IB invasive cervical cancer.

Only 2 of 125 patients with FIGO stage IB invasive squamous or adenocarcinoma of the cervix 3 cm or less in diameter who underwent exploration for radical hysterectomy, bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy, and para-aortic node sampling had metastases to the para-aortic nodes. No patient had gross para-aortic nodal involvement, and both patients with microscopic para-aortic nodal metastases had grossly positive pelvic nodal involvement. Para-aortic node sampling in patients with small stage IB cervical cancers undergoing radical hysterectomy may be restricted to patients with suspicious pelvic or para-aortic nodes.     

Application of tumor markers CEA, TPA, and SCC-Ag in patients with low-risk FIGO stage IB and IIA squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the potential clinical utility of tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) in patients with FIGO stage IB and IIA squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix with low-risk clinicopathologic factors (negative lymph node metastasis, no lymphovascular space involvement, no bulky tumor size, no parametrial invasion, no deep stromal invasion, and well-differentiated cellular histology). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 558 patients with FIGO stage IB-IIA and pathology-proven invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, treated at the Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, between December 1986 and November 1990. Serum specimens were drawn before operation. A total of 140 assessable patients were enrolled into the study (including 109 stage IB patients and 31 stage IIA patients; all patients had no clinicopathologic risk factors and had at least one tumor marker datum). Survival curves were constructed according to the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: In univariate analysis of survival, CEA, TPA, and SCC-Ag all have roles in the prediction of prognosis. In Cox proportional hazards model using CEA, TPA, and SCC-Ag as covariates, TPA demonstrated the most significant risk factor (P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that preoperative evaluation of serum TPA might be of great value in the prediction of survival of patients without any clinicopathologic risk factors and this special group of patients should be paid much attention in the follow-up period. From this study, preoperative elevation of TPA defines a group of otherwise low-risk invasive cervical cancer patients who are at high risk for recurrence. Adjuvant therapy might be necessary for this special subset of patients. A prospective study with a larger sample should be conducted to prove this particular finding.