Long‐term outcomes after fertility‐sparing laparoscopic radical trachelectomy in young women with early‐stage cervical cancer: An Asan Gynecologic Cancer Group (AGCG) study

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term outcomes and risk factors for recurrence after fertility-sparing laparoscopic radical trachelectomy (LRT) in young women with early-stage cervical cancer. METHODS: Eighty-eight consecutive patients from four tertiary cancer centers in Korea who had attempted fertility-sparing LRT for early-stage cervical cancer were included in this study. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients completed LRT. The mean age and tumor size were 31 years (range, 20-40 years) and 1.8 cm (range, 0.4-7 cm), respectively. Twenty-nine patients had a tumor size greater than 2 cm, 22 had deep stromal invasion greater than 50%, and twelve had lymphovascular space invasion. After a median follow-up time of 44 months (range, 3-105 months), nine patients had recurrence and one had died of disease. A tumor size greater than 2 cm (P = 0.039) and a depth of stromal invasion greater than 50% (P = 0.016) were significant risk factors for recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest series on fertility-sparing LRT in young women with early cervical cancer. LRT is a feasible and safe fertility-sparing alternative to radical hysterectomy in these women. A tumor size greater than 2 cm and a depth of stromal invasion greater than 50% were risk factors for recurrence.