ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: In cervical cancer, a number of pathological parameters have been explored for their utility in tailoring a less aggressive approach for patients with low-risk early stage disease. We examined whether, in patients with cervical cancer stage IA1 to IB1, diagnosed by loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ), positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV), clearance of hrHPV after LLETZ correlates with absence of residual disease at the final pathology after definitive or further surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected from patients diagnosed with early stage invasive cervical cancer and positive hrHPV DNA, who had a repeat cervical HPV test 3 to 12 weeks after LLETZ and before final surgical treatment. We compared characteristics of patients with post-LLETZ negative and positive hrHPV. RESULTS: Of 28 patients, 13 were post-LLETZ negative hrHPV; of these, 11 did not have residual cancer in the final pathological specimen; two patients had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3. Of the 15 women who had post-LLETZ positive hrHPV, 10 had residual cancer in the final pathological specimen and 3 had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or adenocarcinoma in situ; only 2 were negative for cancer. The post-LLETZ hrHPV test shows a sensitivity of 86.7% and specificity of 84.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Clearance of hrHPV from the cervix after LLETZ was found to correlate with the absence of residual cancer in the final surgical specimen. Testing for hrHPV post-LLETZ might serve as a new parameter for risk assessment and tailoring of a less radical operation in women with early stage cervical cancer.
