THE ROLE OF THE LOOP ELECTROSURGICAL EXCISION PROCEDURE IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF EARLY INVASIVE CERVICAL-CANCER

The management of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (GIN) has evolve d so that excisional techniques are now preferred over ablative proced ures. This is in part due to a 1-3% rate of discovering unsuspected ea rly invasive carcinomas that would not have been detected by ablative management of GIN. A review of our initial experience over 20 months w ith the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) in treating CIN found seven out of 237 patients (3%) to have otherwise unsuspected in vasive lesions. The management of three additional patients with suspe cted early invasive lesions has been facilitated by LEEP. The procedur e has been found to produce excellent pathologic specimens and has vir tually replaced traditional operative cervical conization in the manag ement of both CIN and early invasive cervical cancer.