Outcome of conservatively treated microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix during a 10-year follow-up

Objective: To assess the rate, the cumulative proportion, and the predictors of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2Y3 (CIN 2Y3) and invasive disease during the follow-up of patients conservatively treated for microinvasive (stage Ia1-2) squamous cell carcinoma (MIC) of the uterine cervix. Methods: Two hundred thirty women (median age, 37 years; range, 20Y69 years) conservatively treated for MIC were followed up for 10 years and analyzed for cumulative proportion of CIN 2Y3/invasive disease. The multivariate survival analysis was used to assess the clinicopathological features predicting the development of CIN 2Y3/SCC. Results: Of the 230 patients primarily treated by cone, 76 (33%) underwent hysterectomy as the immediate retreatment, and 13 had a residual disease. The remaining 154 women were subjected to posttreatment follow-up. The depth of stromal invasion was strongly associated with the prevalence of positive lymph nodes and lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI). The detection rate of CIN 2Y3/SCC was stable at the first 2 visits (6.5% and 6.9%) and dropped thereafter. The cumulative proportion of patients whose conditions were diagnosed as CIN 2Y3/ carcinoma was 0.07, 0.09, 0.15, and 0.19 at 6, 12, 36, and 120 months, respectively. In multivariate survival analysis, involvement of 4 quadrants (odds ratio [OR], 5.8), LVSI (OR, 4.5), and cone margin involvement (OR, 5.6) were significant independent predictors of CIN 2Y3/SCC after treatment. The upper age tertile (42Y69 years) was an independent protective factor (OR, 0.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.1Y0.9). Conclusions: A close, long-term surveillance should be scheduled for the MIC patients conservatively treated. Cone margin involvement, LVSI, and the number of quadrants involved on colposcopy are independent risk factors for disease persistence and/or progression to SCC.