Outpatient treatment of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia. The CO2 laser versus cryotherapy, a randomized trial

In a randomized study, 204 patients were allocated to either laser or cryo treatment for cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN). The patients were treated on an outpatient basis without anesthesia unless other conditions requiring anesthesia had to be dealt with at the same time. Both the laser and the cryo method were highly acceptable to the patients. Slightly more patients experienced moderate or severe pain during laser treatment, compared with cryo treatment (P = 0.05). Peroperative hemorrhage did not exceed 25 cc except for one laser-treated patient. Postoperative vaginal discharge was more often seen after cryo coagulation, the discharge being malodorous in 36% of cryo-treated patients and in 17% of laser-treated patients. Pelvic inflammatory disease was found in one patient in each treatment group. Postoperative spotting occurred more often in laser-treated patients (49%) than in cryo-treated patients (22%). At follow-up colposcopy 3 months after treatment, the squamocolumnar junction was fully visible significantly more often in laser-treated patients (P less than 0.001). The cure rates after one laser or cryo treatment were 90% and 91%, respectively. Subsequent to 19 initial treatment failures, 8 patients have at present been retreated with the same method as initially used, and all 8 are cured. The cure rates after one or two treatments are 96% in the laser group and 93% in the cryo group. The rates are preliminary, due to the short observation time. Publications will appear when all patients have been followed for 2 and 5 years.