[Radical hysterectomy in stage 1-B-1 cervical cancer]

From 1980 to 1991 were received 6,295 patients diagnosed as invasive cervical cancer at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología of México; from this group, 884 cases were considered as stage IB (12.76%) and 133 cases, adenocarcinoma in 10, adenosquamous carcinoma in 6 and minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (malignant adenoma) in one case. Eighty percent of cases had a less than 2 cm tumor size. Thirteen cases had metastatic pelvic lymph nodes. Mean age 46 years (range 28-64 years), mean operatory time 4:50 hours (range 3-15 hours), average of hemorrhage 1,500 ml (range 300 to 5,000 ml). One patient died from no related cause. Bladder malfunction was observed in 8.4% and uro-vaginal fistula in 6.9% of the cases. Thirteen patients experimented tumor relapsing after 8 to 22 months of follow up. Only 3 out of 7 from that with tumor relapsing were saved with whole pelvic radiotherapy. One hundred-fifteen patients are alive and well after 63 months mean follow-up. Radical hysterectomy plus bilateral lymphadenectomy is an optimal surgical procedure in managing early invasive carcinoma of the cervix uteri.