[Prognosis of patients with stage Ib-IIb node-positive cervical carcinoma]

Pelvic lymph node metastasis was the important prognostic factor for the patients with cervical carcinoma. However, the relationship among the number of positive nodes, site of metastatic nodes, adjuvant therapy, and the prognosis were unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variables that could predict the prognosis of the patients with stage Ib-IIb node-positive cervical carcinoma.

Sixty-six patients with stage Ib-IIb cervical carcinoma who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy were analyzed retrospectively. Potential prognostic variables were studied by Cox proportional hazard model.

The 5-year survival rate of the patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis was 40.7%. Cox proportional hazard model analysis showed cellular differentiation, number of positive nodes, and adjuvant therapy were the important prognostic factors (P< 0.05). The 5-year survival rate of patients with one positive node (56.5%) was higher than that (36.4%) of those with two or more positive nodes (P< 0.05). The former's distant metastatic rate (5.9%) was lower than the latter's (32.7%) (P=0.05). However, there was no difference of pelvic recurrence between them (P >0.05). The 5-year survival rate of the patients who had no adjuvant therapy (12.6%) was much lower than that (53.7%) of those with adjuvant therapy (P< 0.05). However, the differences of the effects among adjuvant radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and chemoradiotherapy were not obvious (P >0.05).

The prognosis of patients with stage Ib-IIb node-positive cervical carcinoma who underwent radical surgery was poor. Adjuvant therapy can improve the survival rate, decrease the pelvic recurrence and distant metastasis.