Microinvasive carcinoma of the cervix. Management of a neoplasm with favorable prognosis

Introduction: Microinvasive carcinoma represents a subgroup within cervical cancer that is characterized by having a good prognosis and the possibility of treatment through conservative approaches. Material and methods: We studied data from 60 patients treated at our hospital from 1994 to 2001. The diagnosis was made by the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). Results: Of all treated patients, 83.3% had stage IA1 carcinomas and 16.6% were in stage IA2. All tumors were squamous carcinomas, except one, which was a mucinous adenocarcinoma. Forty patients with stage IA1 tumors underwent total hysterectomy, whilst the remainder were treated by LEEP or, in two patients, through a cervical stump excision. Except for one patient with contraindications for surgery, all IA2 patients underwent radical surgery consisting of radical hysterectomy with bilateral iliac lymphadenectomy. Relapse occurred in only one patient with a stage IA1 tumor, who then underwent colpectomy. Conclusions: Our data support the current trend of increasing the use of conservative treatments and confirm the excellent prognosis of this neoplasm.