Glassy cell adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix

Glassy cell carcinoma of the cervix is a rare variant of cervical cancer accounting for a small percentage of cell types. This study was undertaken to review our experience with glassy cell adenocarcinoma.

Review of adenocarcinomas from the period 1970 to 1985 was undertaken. Pathology review and survival analysis was performed comparing the glassy cell adenocarcinomas with other adenocarcinoma cell types.

Twenty-one patients with glassy cell adenocarcinoma were identified. The mean age was 44 years. The stage distribution showed stage I=10, stage II=8, stage III=1, and stage IV=2. The cumulative survival according to stage was stage I=50%, stage II=36%, stage III=0%, and stage IV=0%. A separate analysis was performed for stage I comparing glassy cell carcinoma with other stage I adenocarcinoma cell types. The survival for stage I nonglassy cell adenocarcinoma was 61% compared with glassy cell adenocarcinoma 48% (n=10) (P=.5). A separate subset for adenosquamous carcinoma alone was performed. The survival for stage I adenosquamous carcinoma (n=30) was 58%. The survival for adenosquamous glassy cell (n=5) was 30% (P=.45).

Glassy cell adenocarcinoma is a small subset of adenocarcinoma. When compared with other adenocarcinomas, survival is not significantly decreased.