Carcinoma of the cervix--a review

Carcinoma of the cervix is the fourth most common neoplasm in women. The mortality from this tumor has dropped with the advent of Papanicolaou smears and routine periodic screening, particularly in high risk populations. Diagnosis and staging includes a careful physical examination, the use of colposcopy, directed biopsy, intravenous urogram and cystoscopy. Computed tomography and lymph-angiography may be helpful for detection of iliac or paraaortic lymph nodes. Early, noninvasive stages of this disease (CIN) may be treated with cryosurgery or laser vaporization. Carcinoma in situ (CIS) and microinvasive carcinoma is usually treated with simple hysterectomy for cure. More advanced invasion localized to the cervix may be treated with radical hysterectomy or radiation therapy with 90% of patients surviving 5 years. More advanced tumors are treated with external and intracavitary radiation therapy. For patients with paraaortic lymph node involvement or recurrent tumor, 5-year survival is less than 10%. Chemotherapy may provide some palliation to patients with recurrent tumors but does not increase long term survivorship.