PREVALENCE AND STANDARDIZED INCIDENCE RATES OF PRECLINICAL CERVICAL PATHOLOGY AMONG 1,061 WOMEN STERILIZED WITH TRANSCERVICAL QUINACRINE HYDROCHLORIDE PELLETS

Objective: To determine whether the incidence of in situ cervical carc inoma was increased among a cohort of women who received transcervical insertions of quinacrine hydrochloride pellets into the uterine cavit y as a method of nonsurgical sterilization. Design: Retrospective revi ew of Papanicolaou (Pap) test results, comparing incidence of high-gra de lesions among quinacrine acceptors with a comparison population. Se tting: Outpatient clinics, Santiago, Chile. Subjects: Women attending a family planning clinic (quinacrine accepters) and a comparison popul ation from another area of Santiago. Main Outcome Measure: Incidence o f in situ cervical carcinoma. Results: During 3,668 woman-years of fol low-up, 8 women in the quinacrine group were found to have in situ car cinomas for an age-adjusted rate of 2.62 per 1,000 woman-years. The in cidence in a comparison population was 1.62 per 1,000 woman-years, but the difference was not statistically different. Conclusions: The age- standardized incidence of in situ carcinoma among the quinacrine steri lized women was not significantly different from the rate in a compari son population of women in Santiago. However, the study has a number o f limitations.