MICROINVASIVE SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE CERVIX

The International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) definition of microinvasive carcinoma of the cervix changed recently. We clinically reviewed our treatment of superficially invasive cancer of the cervix in Eight of those changes. The review covered all patie nts treated at the University of Michigan from 1970 to 1985 who had st age I squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, with the Society of Gynec ologic Oncologists (SGO) and new FIGO criteria for microinvasion used. Using SGO criteria, 43 patients were treated as follows: total abdomi nal hysterectomy (32), total vaginal hysterectomy (7), radical hystere ctomy (2) and cone biopsy (2). One. patient, who had multifocal diseas e with a maximum depth of 1.5 mm, developed a recurrence and died of t he disease. A review of 345 patients considered to have stage IB disea se tinder SGO criteria showed 30 patients who were reclassified as hav ing stage IA2. All these patients were treated with radical surgery an d survived, and all had negative lymph nodes. Radical surgery for pati ents with move than microinvasion according to SGO criteria provides e xcellent survival rates. Radical therapy may also be indicated for mul tifocal lesions.