Recurrence of invasive cervical carcinoma more than 5 years after initial therapy

To estimate the probability of and risk factors for the recurrence of invasive cervical carcinoma over 5 years after initial therapy.

Patients (n = 827) with invasive cervical carcinoma were treated and received follow-up care for up to 29 years. Late recurrence was defined as recurrence more than 5 years after initial therapy. The probability of late recurrence was evaluated in terms of clinical stage, histologic type, and type of initial therapy.

Late recurrence was seen in 21 of 569 patients who had survived 5 years (3.7%). Recurrence rates were 1.8% (six of 331) in stage I, 5.2% (eight of 154) in stage II, 8.6% (seven of 81) in stage III, and 0% (none of three) in stage IV. The probability of late recurrence in patients with stage I disease was significantly lower than that in stage II and stage III diseases (stage I compared with stage II, P = .038, stage I compared with stage III, P = .002). Late recurrence occurred in 21 (3.8%) of 547 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, whereas no late recurrences were found in 22 cases of adenocarcinoma. The late recurrence rate in patients who received radiation (7.1%, 17 of 241) was significantly higher than that in patients who received surgery (1.2%, four of 328; P = .001).

Patients with uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma, especially those with stage II or stage III diseases who received radiation therapy as initial treatment, warrant annual follow-up care beyond the standard 5 years after initial therapy.