Early cervical cancer

Early cervical cancer includes a broad range of disease, from clinically undetectable microinvasive cancer to large, bulky tumors that replace the entire cervix. Further subgrouping of this category is therefore necessary to define the optimal treatment approach for individual cases. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system stratifies stage I tumors into two broad categories, stage IA (microinvasive) and stage IB (gross tumor). Management of women with stage IA disease is controversial. In the United States, patients with stromal invasion of less than 3 mm and no lymphvascular involvement are usually treated conservatively with simple hysterectomy. In selected patients who desire fertility, cone biopsy with negative surgical margins is also considered. Patients with invasion of more than 3 mm or lymphvascular space involvement are at risk for pelvic lymph node metastasis and are most often treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Stage IB1 cervical cancer is managed by either radical surgery or radiotherapy with equivalent recurrence and survival rates. In patients with tumors less than 4 cm in diameter, the decision between radical surgery and radiotherapy is guided by patients' overall health and treatment preferences. For younger women, radical surgery is preferred because ovarian function can be preserved and vaginal stenosis secondary to radiation can be avoided. Radiation therapy is preferred for women who may not tolerate radical surgery. We always prefer primary radiation therapy for patients with tumors larger than 4 cm in diameter. Recent data convincingly demonstrate that the addition of cisplatin-based chemotherapy significantly improves overall survival rates in cervical cancer patients who undergo radiation therapy.