Microinvasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix: A long-term followup study of eighty cases

One hundred and eleven patients with microinvasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix were studied over a 21-year period. Thirty-five cases of carcinoma in situ with questionable stromal invasion were excluded. Cases with pathologic examination of less than a cervical cone or the entire cervix were not accepted. The sole pathologic criterion for inclusion was unequivocal invasion to a depth of no more than 5.0 mm. Ninety-one patients were followed for 5 years or until death, and 80 patients for 10 years or until death. One patient was lost to follow-up at 5.5 years. The two deaths officially attributed to cervix cancer prior to 10 years were signed out by nonphysician assistant coroners. Available clinical evidence indicates that at least one of these patients, and probably both, did not die of cervix cancer. From these data, simple hysterectomy would seem to be the maximal treatment indicated. Since the prognosis of microinvasive carcinoma is similar to that of carcinoma in situ, it is suggested that such cases not be included when considering the end results of Stage I cervix cancer.