Clinical implication of laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients with vulvar cancer and positive groin nodes

OBJECTIVE: At present, no clear guidelines for the treatment of patients with vulvar cancer and positive groin nodes exist. In general, the decision for additional pelvic radiation is based on findings by imaging techniques and/or the number of groin nodes involved. The aim of this case series was to demonstrate that histologic result of laparoscopic removed pelvic lymph nodes can be used to select patients who should not undergo pelvic irradiation. METHODS: From July 1997 to October 2004, 12 consecutive patients with primary or recurrent vulvar cancer underwent laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy following primary or secondary surgical treatment. RESULTS: There were 8 patients with primary cancer of the vulva and 4 patients with recurrent disease in the inguinal and/or pelvic lymph nodes. The mean age was 61 (26-83) years and the mean body-mass-index was 27.1 (20.8-36.6). Positive groin nodes were found in five patients on the right side and in five patients on the left side; in one patient, positive groin nodes were present in both sides. In another patient with a history of vulvar cancer and positive groin nodes the CT-scan indicated the presence of positive iliac and paraaortic lymph nodes. Only in two patients tumor involved lymph nodes were diagnosed by laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy (one left-sided, one right-sided). The number of harvested pelvic lymph nodes was 13.7 (5-20) in unilateral and 27.8 (16-37) in bilateral lymphadenectomy. The histologic examination of removed pelvic lymph nodes confirmed pelvic radiation in only 2 out of 12 patients, whereas 10 patients were spared from whole pelvis irradiation. CONCLUSION: With respect to small sample size, laparoscopic lymphadenectomy seems to be a good tool to avoid unnecessary pelvic radiation in patients with vulvar cancer and confirmed positive groin nodes.     

Prognostic variables in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva

Records of 98 patients undergoing surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva between 1960 and 1982 were analyzed to evaluate and develop treatment policy. There were 32, 34, 26, and 6 patients in FIGO stages I-IV, respectively. Eighty-six patients underwent radical vulvectomy, 8 patients underwent less extensive procedures, and 4 underwent more extensive procedures. Eighty-seven patients underwent inguinal node dissection, and 40 underwent pelvic node dissection as well. Eight patients received external beam irradiation. Actuarial 5-year survival was 57%. Age, tumor size, FIGO (clinical) stage, surgically determined T and N stages, tumor differentiation, lymph vessel invasion, extent of surgical procedure, and adjuvant irradiation were analyzed to determine their effects on local control, freedom from distant metastases, and survival, using single variable and multivariate analysis. Local control was significantly related to FIGO stage; freedom from distant metastasis was significantly related to surgical N stage, tumor size, and surgical T stage; survival was significantly related to surgical N stage, tumor size, surgical T stage, age, and lymph vessel invasion. Metastatic involvement of inguinal lymph nodes was significantly correlated with tumor size and differentiation. Of 87 evaluable patients, 33 had inguinal node involvement, and of these, 17 developed recurrent disease. All 7 patients with pelvic node metastases had positive inguinal nodes, and all died; the cause of death could be determined in 5, of whom 4 manifested distant metastases. Pelvic lymphadenectomy conferred no survival benefit in this series, even in the presence of positive inguinal nodes. Local vulvar recurrence is a significant problem in patients with positive inguinal nodes, and postoperative irradiation should be directed to this area in these patients. Patients with vulvar recurrences, especially those occurring at least 2 years after surgery, can be successfully salvaged, and should therefore be treated aggressively.     

外阴癌淋巴结切除适应证和争议

外阴局部广泛切除术+腹股沟淋巴结切除术是目前外阴癌的基本手术方式。FIGO和NCCN指南均推荐FIGOⅠA期可不行腹股沟淋巴结切除术,所有ⅠB期或Ⅱ期患者,应该行腹股沟淋巴结切除术。晚期外阴癌在确定总体治疗方案前,应先明确腹股沟淋巴结状态,再确定后续处理方案。如果术前未发现可疑转移淋巴结,行双侧腹股沟、股淋巴结切除术;术前已明确淋巴结阳性者,建议仅切除肿大的淋巴结,术后给予腹股沟和盆腔放疗,最好避免系统性淋巴结切除术。在有关淋巴结切除的争议中,切除腹股沟、股淋巴结及采用三切口腹股沟横切口技术、保留大隐静脉等被大多数学者认可;但对于靠近中线但不侵犯中线的病灶是否可不切除双侧腹股沟淋巴结及外阴黑色素瘤、前庭大腺癌等少见病理类型的淋巴结切除指征尚有争议。     

Early stage I carcinoma of the vulva treated with ipsilateral superficial inguinal lymphadenectomy and modified radical hemivulvectomy: a prospective study of the Gynecologic Oncology Group.

Although cure rates are high, the morbidity of radical operation for carcinoma of the vulva is substantial. Between 1983-1989, member institutions of the Gynecologic Oncology Group entered 155 patients in a prospective evaluation of modified radical hemivulvectomy and ipsilateral inguinal lymphadenecctomy for clinical stage I vulvar cancer. Only patients with neoplastic thickness of 5 mm or less, without vascular space invasion, and negative inguinal lymph nodes were eligible for this study. There have been 19 recurrences and seven deaths from disease among the 121 eligible and evaluable patients. Patients whose disease recurred on the vulva were frequently (eight of ten patients) salvaged by further operation. Five of the seven deaths due to cancer occurred among patients whose first recurrence was in the groin. Acute and long-term morbidity as well as hospital stay were each less than in the Group's previous experience in a comparable patient population treated with radical vulvectomy and bilateral inguinal-femoral lymphadenectomy. There was a significantly increased risk of recurrence but not death when compared with these same historic controls. Modified radical hemivulvectomy and ipsilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy is an alternative to traditional radical operation for these selected patients with stage I carcinoma of the vulva. The number of patients who experienced recurrence in the operated groin is of concern and may be attributable to the decision to leave the femoral nodes intact.     

Lymph gland metastases in invasive squamous cell cancer of the vulva

Cancer of the vulva has responded to surgical therapy. "The problem now is to decide in what way the results may be improved." A clinical series of 195 patients who had extended vulvectomy and bilateral inguinal and pelvic lymphadenectomy were systematically examined for lymph gland metastases in the inguinal and pelvic regions. Forty-one patients had metastases in these lymph glands. Lesion site, lesion size, and patterns of metastases were delineated in these 41 patients. ;ariations in the pattern of central (clitoral) and lateral (labial) cancers were recorded. Risk factors of 20.5 and 4.6 per cent respectively, was calculated for omitting bilateral inguinal and pelvic lymphadenectomy. The latter figure indicated that one of 20 patients would have had residual disease if pelvic lymphadenectomy had been omitted. With out present inability to determine accurately lymph gland metastases by nonsurgical means, trends from this study indicate that optimum therapy requires addition of pelvic lymphadenectomy to extended vulvectomy and bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy.     

Radical vulvectomy and bilateral groin lymphadenectomy utilizing separate groin incisions: report of a case with recurrence in the intervening skin bridge

Postoperative wound breakdown is very common following the en bloc dissection of the vulva and inguinal/femoral lymph nodes for carcinoma of the vulva. To decrease the incidence of wound morbidity, techniques have been described for performing the inguinal/femoral lymphadenectomy through separate groin incisions. This approach leaves a bridge of tissue between the vulvar excision and the lymph node dissection. A case of stage I squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva that was treated with a radical vulvectomy and bilateral inguinal/femoral lymphadenectomy utilizing separate groin incisions is presented. This patient later developed a recurrence in the tissue bridge between the vulvar and groin excisions. The mechanism for this recurrence is discussed.     

Radical wide excision and selective inguinal node dissection for squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva

Limited resection of some vulvar cancers may provide cure rates equivalent to those obtained with radical vulvectomy and bilateral inguinal node dissection. Rapid recovery, fewer complications, and better functional result have been described as advantages to less extensive procedures. Since 1978, 32 patients with invasive squamous cell cancer of the vulva (depth greater than 1 mm) and clinically negative inguinal lymph nodes underwent radical wide excisions as primary therapy. Mean age at diagnosis was 61 years. Seventeen patients had T1 and 15 had T2 tumors. Resection of the primary lesion was tailored to lesion location and size, and dissection was carried to the deep perineal fascia. Twenty-two patients had unilateral superficial inguinal lymph node dissections, five with midline lesions had bilateral superficial dissections, and five had node samplings which included deep inguinal nodes. Depth of invasion ranged from 1.5 to 13.0 mm. Mean largest lesion dimension was 23 mm. Five-year lifetable survival for the entire group was 84%. Univariate analysis of potential prognostic variables showed no significant recurrence or survival differences for patient age (P = 0.56), symptom duration (P = 0.57), FIGO stage (P = 0.67), tumor grade (P = 0.20), tumor location (P = 0.26), depth of invasion (P = 0.56), or resection margin status (P = 0.63). Thirty-one percent of patients had perioperative complications, and 16% developed delayed complications. Mean hospital stay was 10 days. Three patients (10%) developed new or recurrent vulvar disease and underwent additional therapy. None have died of disease, although one is alive with persistent tumor. Radical wide excision and selective inguinal lymphadenectomy constitute a reasonable alternative to radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinal node dissections for squamous tumors clinically limited to the vulva. Outcome may not be strongly influenced by lesion size or depth of invasion.     

The case for completing the lymphadenectomy when positive lymph nodes are found during radical hysterectomy for cervical carcinoma

BACKGROUND: In the present study we report on the results of a retrospective study on the effect on survival of the pelvic lymphadenectomy in a group of 294 patients with stage Ia2-IIa cervical carcinoma treated by radical hysterectomy from 1984 through 1996 at the Leiden University Medical Center. METHODS: Lymphadenectomy was called 'complete' when lymph node bearing tissue had been removed from 5 or 6 lymph node stations and 'not-complete' when this was the case in 1-4 stations. RESULTS: A radical hysterectomy was carried out in 294 patients. In 63 patients positive lymph nodes were found. Patients with positive nodes showed poorer 5 year survival: 64.5% compared to 90% in patients with negative nodes. In the univariate analysis the following factors were found to affect the presence of node metastases in a statistically significant way: age, tumor size, depth of infiltration, vaso-invasion, surgical margins, parametrial infiltration, stage and place of referral. In 63 patients with positive nodes, a complete lymphadenectomy was carried out in 23 patients, and in 40 patients the procedure was incomplete. All 63 patients were treated by adjuvant radiation therapy; those with complete lymphadenectomy had significantly less recurrences (25%) compared to those with incomplete lymphadenectomy (56%): the relative risk (RR) was 2.9 (95% ci: 1.3-6.7), p=0.012. After adjustment for other prognostic factors including tumor size, depth of infiltration and parametrial involvement, the complete lymphadenectomy showed an independent effect on disease free survival: RR= 3.2 (95% ci: 1.3-7.7), p=0.011. Prognostic factors were not significantly different for patients with complete or incomplete lymphadenectomy. CONCLUSIONS: From the results of this study, although retrospective and non randomized, it can be concluded that to complete removal of lymph nodes in combination with radical hysterectomy seems to have a beneficial effect on prognosis in case of positive nodes. The policy of aborting the procedure when lymph node metastases are found in frozen section should be questioned.     

The value of groin palpation in epidermoid carcinoma of the vulva

During the years 1956–1974 258 patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the vulva were treated with radical vulvectomy and bilateral groin lymphadenectomy. Metastases to the superficial and/or deep inguinal lymph nodes were found in 100 cases (38.8%), only 64 of which were detected by clinical examination. In 40 more cases (15.5%) the groin lymph nodes were also suspected to be involved, but this could not be verified by microscopic examination. The 5-year actuarial survival rate was 41% for the patients with lymph node metastases. There was a statistically significant difference in the survival rate between the patients with palpable lymph node metastases as compared with those where the nodes were not suspected to be involved.     

Operative management of early invasive epidermoid carcinoma of the vulva.

The clinical records and surgical specimens of 60 patients with squamous cancers of the vulva less than 2 cm in size (TI) were studied. Fifty-eight patients had stromal invasion 5 mm. or less in depth. Three of the 60 patients (5 per cent) had pelvic lymph node metastases; two of these three showed invasion of vascular channels; the third patient's tumor showed cellular anaplasia. In an effort to reduce patient morbidity in radical surgery for vulvar carcinoma, while achieving comparable survival data, an operative approach less radical than radical vulvectomy, inguinal dissections, and/or pelvic lymphadenectomy is proposed for selected patients.     

The side of groin node metastases in unilateral vulvar carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to analyze the occurrence of ipsilateral, bilateral and contralateral inguinofemoral node metastases in unilateral vulvar carcinoma. One hundred and eighty-five women with a T1 or T2 squamous cell carcinoma who underwent radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy were surveyed. Inguinofemoral lymph node metastases were found in 23 (22.1%) out of the 104 patients with a unilateral primary tumor. These lymph node metastases were found solely on the ipsilateral side in 21 (91.3%) out of the 23 patients. One patient presented with bilateral extranodal growth in the groins. Another patient with a history of endometrial carcinoma had a right-sided vulvar tumor with contralateral groin node metastases. Half a year later, she was diagnosed with recurrent endometrial cancer on the right pelvic side-wall. Our study endorses clinical evidence that the preferential lymph flow is to the ipsilateral groin. Established lymph node metastases may disturb the normal lymph flow with contralateral metastases as a possible consequence.     

Pelvic Lymphadenectomy in Vulvar Cancer – Does it make sense?

Since the publication of the updated German guideline in 2015, the recommendations for performing pelvic lymphadenectomy (LAE) in patients with vulvar cancer (VSCC) have changed considerably. The guideline recommends surgical lymph node staging in all patients with a higher risk of pelvic lymph node involvement. However, the current data do not allow the population at risk to be clearly defined, therefore, the indication for pelvic lymphadenectomy is still not clear. There are currently two published German patient populations who had pelvic LAE which can be used to investigate both the prognostic effect of histologically verified pelvic lymph node metastasis and the relation between inguinal and pelvic lymph node involvement. A total of 1618 patients with primary FIGO stage ≥ IB VSCC were included in the multicenter AGO CaRE-1 study (1998 – 2008), 70 of whom underwent pelvic LAE. During a retrospective single-center evaluation carried out at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), a total of 514 patients with primary VSCC treated between 1996 – 2018 were evaluated, 21 of whom underwent pelvic LAE. In both cohorts, around 80% of the patients who underwent pelvic LAE were inguinally node-positive, with a median number of three affected groin lymph nodes. There were no cases of pelvic lymph node metastasis without inguinal lymph node metastasis in either of the two cohorts. Between 33 – 35% of the inguinal node-positive patients also had pelvic lymph node metastasis; the median number of affected groin lymph nodes in these patients was high (> 4), and the maximum median diameter of the largest inguinal metastasis was > 40 mm in both cohorts. Pelvic lymph node staging and pelvic radiotherapy is therefore probably not necessary for the majority of node-positive patients with VSCC, as the relevant risk of pelvic lymph node involvement was primarily found in node-positive patients with high-grade disease. More, ideally prospective data collections are necessary to validate the relation between inguinal and pelvic lymph node involvement.Key words: vulvar cancer, lymph node metastasis, pelvic lymphadenectomy, recurrence, prognosis     

Prognostic factors associated with radical hysterectomy failure

Two hundred seventy-five patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for FIGO stage IB carcinoma of the cervix between 1961 and 1982 were retrospectively analyzed to identify specific risk factors associated with treatment failure. Patients were classified as high or low risk on the basis of tumor spread to pelvic lymph nodes or surgical margins. Thirty-eight patients had tumor involvement of pelvic nodes or surgical margins. Despite postoperative whole pelvis radiation therapy in 88% of patients, 13 (34.2%) developed recurrence. All patients with involved nodes or margins who recurred died of disease. Patients with pelvic lymph node or surgical margin involvement clearly constitute a high risk group and should be considered candidates for some form of adjuvant therapy. Two hundred thirty-seven patients had negative nodes and clear surgical margins. There were 18 recurrences (7.6%) in this group. Pathologic specimens were reviewed to evaluate additional histologic criteria which might identify those patients at greatest risk for tumor recurrence in this low risk group. Patients whose tumors contained vascular-lymphatic space invasion or adenomatous histologic components recurred more frequently than patients whose tumors did not (P less than 0.05). Eighty-three percent of low risk patients who recurred had tumors with at least one of these features. Degree of differentiation and depth of invasion did not correlate with risk of recurrence. Prospective randomized trials are needed to determine the effectiveness of postoperative adjuvant therapy for patients at risk for recurrent disease.     

The importance of the histologic processing of pelvic lymph nodes in the treatment of cervical cancer

Four hundred and twenty surgical specimens from patients undergoing radical abdominal hysterectomy and complete pelvic lymphadenectomy for stage Ib, IIa or IIb cervical cancer underwent meticulous histologic and morphometric study. Complete processing of the extirpated lymphatic fatty tissue led to reproducible findings including the number of removed nodes, the number and size of tumor deposits in the nodes, and the location of the latter in the pelvis. An average of 32 nodes was removed per patient regardless of clinical size, tumor size, or stage. Thirty one per cent of patients with stage Ib disease had positive nodes as did 45% of those with stage IIb disease. The number of node metastases increased proportionally with the size of the primary tumor. In stage Ib 30% of the node metastases were smaller than 2 mm in diameter as were 21% of those in stage IIb. The size of the metastases was directly proportional to the size of the primary tumor. In patients with small tumors 43% of the nodes were smaller than 2 mm, as compared with 15% of those in patients with large tumors. The 5-year survival rate of patients with negative nodes was 89.3%. Survival dropped to 69.8% and 37.9% in patients with 1 or ≥ 4 positive nodes, respectively. The 5-year survival rate of patients with node metastases smaller than 2 mm and larger than 20 mm was 70% and 39%, respectively. In patients with identical numbers of positive nodes, survival decreased with increasing tumor size. In patients with tumors of a given size, the number of node metastases was an additional prognostic factor. The number of lymph nodes removed in a given patient is an objective measure of the thoroughness of a lymphadenectomy.     

Squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: A review of 424 patients, 1956–1974

A total of 424 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva have been followed 3–21 years. The cases were reviewed according to the FIGO, TNM, and the Friedrich staging systems. The FIGO system seemed to be the most useful in predicting prognosis. There was also a good correlation between the FIGO stages and the occurrence of metastases. In stage I 10.5% lymph node metastases were found as compared to 29.8% in stage II, 66.0% in stage III, and 100% in stage IV. The 5-year actuarial survival rate for the total series was 67.0%, 93.0% in stage I, 75.0% in stage II, and 50.0% in stage III. Radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy was the standard primary treatment during the study period. In stage I lesions less radical procedures are recommended. If metastases to the lacunar and/or Cloquet glands are found, the patient may benefit from high-voltage irradiation against the inguinal region and the pelvic lymph nodes.     

Pathologic evaluation of inguinal sentinel lymph nodes in vulvar cancer patients: a comparison of immunohistochemical staining versus ultrastaging with hematoxylin and eosin staining

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the value of immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of inguinal sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) found to be negative for metastatic disease by ultrastaging with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. METHODS: An IRB approved study identified 29 patients who had undergone an inguinal sentinel lymph node dissection for squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. All sentinel lymph nodes found to be negative for metastatic disease based on ultrastaging with H&E staining were reevaluated with pancytokeratin antibody (AE1/AE3) immunohistochemical (IHC) staining to detect micrometastasis. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva underwent an inguinal sentinel node dissection. Nineteen patients had inguinal dissections negative for metastatic disease, 2 patients had bilateral inguinal metastasis, and 8 patients had unilateral inguinal metastasis. A total of 42 groin dissections with SLN biopsies were performed; 12 groins were positive for metastatic disease and 30 were negative based on ultrastaging with eosin and hematoxylin staining. A total of 107 sentinel lymph nodes (2.5 SLN per groin) were obtained, of which 18 SLN contained metastatic disease identified by ultrastaging and staining with H&E. Two SLN contained micrometastasis less than 0.3mm in size and 16 SLN contained metastasis greater than 2mm in size. Eighty-nine SLN found to be negative for metastasis by ultrastaging with H&E staining were also negative for micrometastasis on evaluation with pancytokeratin antibody AE1/AE3 IHC staining. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of immunohistochemical staining to ultrastaging with H&E staining in the pathologic evaluation of inguinal sentinel lymph nodes does not increase the detection of micrometastasis in patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.     

Patterns of pelvic and paraaortic lymph node involvement in ovarian cancer

One hundred eighty patients with ovarian cancer underwent complete pelvic lymphadenectomy (n = 75) or pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy (n = 105). Twenty-one patients underwent a preoperative biopsy of the scalene lymph nodes. The incidence of positive lymph nodes was 24% in stage I (n = 37), 50% in stage II (n = 14), 74% in stage III (n = 114), and 73% in stage IV (n = 15). Of the 105 patients who underwent pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy, 13 (12%) had positive pelvic and negative paraaortic nodes and 10 (9%) had positive paraaortic and negative pelvic nodes. Positive scalene nodes were found in four patients (19%) later shown to have stage IV disease. One hundred forty patients were studied for number of involved nodes and node groups, size of nodal metastases, residual tumor, and survival. Of the 81 patients with positive nodes, most had only one or two positive node groups or one to three positive individual nodes. A few patients had seven to eight involved node groups with up to 44 positive nodes. Greater numbers of positive nodes were found in stage III than stage IV. The size of the largest nodal metastasis was not related to the clinical stage or survival, but did correlate with the number of positive nodes. Stage III patients with no residual tumor had a significantly lower rate of lymph node involvement than those with tumor residual (P less than 0.01). Actuarial 5-year survival rates of patients with stage III disease and no, one, or more than one positive nodes were 69, 58, and 28%, respectively.     

Positive lymph nodes in vulvar squamous carcinoma

Retrospective evaluation of 52 patients with positive lymph nodes at the time of curative primary surgery for invasive squamous carcinoma of the vulva reveals that those patients with three or less unilaterally positive groin nodes have an excellent prognosis. When more than three groin nodes are positive, or when bilateral groin nodes are present, there is a significant decrease in survival and a significant increase in positive pelvic node metastases. No cases of positive deep pelvic nodes were noted when the groin nodes were negative. Primary involvement of the clitoris followed a stepwise spread to the groin nodes and then to the deep pelvic nodes with no evidence of primary metastases to the deep pelvic nodes without groin node involvement.     

Stage IV endometrial carcinoma: A clinical and histopathological study of 83 patients

From 1960 to 1977, eighty-three patients with stage IV endometrial carcinoma were treated in the Norwegian Radium Hospital. The lung was the main site of extrapelvic tumor extension (36%), followed by “multiple sites” (23%), lymph nodes (inguinal, supraclavicular, axillar; 13%), and bladder (13%). The actuarial 5-year-survival rate was 10%. Complete clinical remission was achieved in 5 patients with lung metastases, in 2 with inguinal lymph node metastases, and in 1 patient with ascites with positive cytology. Control of pelvic disease could be achieved in 20 of 72 patients (28%) by radiotherapy alone or combined with surgery and/or progestagens. Progestational agents proved to be of benefit especially for patients with lung metastases. A complete remission of all visible lesions was observed in 8 out of 26 patients (31%). Patients with well- and moderately differentiated primary adenocarcinoma had a response rate of 83% as opposed to 14% for patients with poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas and adenosquamos carcinomas. Extrapelvic tumor localizations, suitable for radiotherapy, were supraclavicular and axillary lymph nodes and bone metastases.     

Gland cell carcinoma (adenocarcinoma) of the cervix

A review of 203 patients with adenocarcinoma of the cervix treated at the University of Michigan Medical Center from 1970-1985 is reported. The following subtypes were identified: endocervical, 94 (46%); adenosquamous, 67 (33%); papillary, 21 (11%); clear cell, 16 (8%); and mucoid, five (4%). The distribution by stage of disease included stage I, 125 (62%); stage II, 40 (20%); stage III, 25 (12%); and stage IV, 13 (6%). One patient was lost to follow-up. Overall, 107 patients (53%) died from disease. The cumulative 5-year survival rate varied significantly according to the following: stage of disease--stage I 60%, stage II 47%, stage III 8%, stage IV 0%; tumor grade--well-differentiated 75%, moderately differentiated 57%, poorly differentiated 29%; lymph node status--negative nodes 79%, positive nodes 12%; patient age--less than 40 years 65%, 40-60 years 46%, over 60 years 30%; and interval from previous pelvic examination--within 1 year 65%, 1-3 years 41%, beyond 3 years 36%. The histologic subtype did not significantly influence survival. Treatment strategies should be directed at high-risk groups as defined by the stage of disease, tumor differentiation, and lymph node status.