Radical vaginal versus abdominal trachelectomy for stage IB1 cervical cancer: a comparison of surgical and pathologic outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the surgical and pathologic outcomes utilizing two surgical approaches for fertility-sparing radical trachelectomy in patients with stage IB1 cervical cancer.

METHODS: A prospectively maintained database of vaginal radical trachelectomy (VRT) and abdominal radical trachelectomy (ART) procedures was analyzed. All procedures were performed in a standardized manner by the same surgical group. Parametrial measurements were recorded from the final pathology report. Standard statistical tests were used.

RESULTS: Between 12/2001 and 7/2007, 43 adult patients with FIGO stage IB1 cervical cancer underwent surgery with the intent to perform a fertility-sparing radical trachelectomy. VRT was attempted in 28 patients (65%) and ART in 15 patients (35%). The median measured parametrial length in the VRT group was 1.45 cm compared to 3.97 cm in the ART group, P<0.0001. None of the parametrial specimens in the VRT group contained parametrial nodes. Parametrial nodes were detected in 8 (57.3%) of the ART specimens (P=0.0002). There was no difference in histologic subtypes, lymph vascular space invasion, or median total regional lymph nodes removed in the two groups. Median blood loss was greater but not clinically significant in the ART group, and median operating time was less in the ART group. The overall complication rate was not significantly different in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Using standardized techniques, radical abdominal trachelectomy provides similar surgical and pathologic outcomes with possibly a wider parametrial resection, including contiguous parametrial nodes, as compared to the radical vaginal approach.