Safety evaluation of abdominal trachelectomy in patients with cervical tumors ≥2 cm: a single-institution, retrospective analysis.

objectiveFor oncologic safety, vaginal radical trachelectomy is generally performed only in patients with cervical cancers smaller than 2 cm. However, because inclusion criteria for abdominal trachelectomy are controversial, we evaluated the safety of abdominal trachelectomy for cervical cancers ≥2 cm.

methodsWe began performing abdominal trachelectomies at our institution in 2005, primarily for squamous cell carcinoma ≤3 cm or adenocarcinoma/adenosquamous carcinoma ≤2 cm. If a positive sentinel lymph node or cervical margin was diagnosed intraoperatively by frozen section, the trachelectomy was converted to a hysterectomy. Medical records of these patients were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who had undergone simple abdominal trachelectomy were excluded from this study.

resultsWe attempted trachelectomy in 212 patients. Among the 135 patients with tumors <2 cm, trachelectomy was successful in 120, one of whom developed recurrence and none of whom died of their disease. Among 77 patients with tumors ≥2 cm, trachelectomy was successful in 62, 2 of whom developed recurrence and 1 of whom died of her disease. The overall relapse rate after trachelectomy was 1.6% (0.8% in <2 cm group and 3.2% in ≥2 cm group), and the mortality rate was 0.5% (0% in <2 cm group and 1.6% in ≥2 cm group). Recurrence-free survival (p=0.303) and overall survival (p=0.193) did not differ significantly between the <2 cm and ≥2 cm groups.

conclusionsAbdominal trachelectomy with intraoperative frozen sections of sentinel lymph nodes and cervical margins is oncologically safe, even in patients with tumors ≥2 cm.