OBJECTIVE: To review the method and results of treatment of carcinoma of the cervix in women less than 40 years old. DESIGN: Retrospective review of all available case records. SETTING: Yorkshire Regional Health Authority. SUBJECTS: 428 women less than 40 years old treated for stage IB-IV carcinoma of the cervix between 1975 and 1984 inclusive. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall survival by stage, effect of age, identifiable factors of prognostic significance, survival, grade 3 morbidity and pattern of recurrence in relation to treatment. RESULTS: The 5-year actuarial percentage survival by stage was 78.4 (IB), 54.4 (II), 18.4 (III) and 0 (IV). Identifiable factors of prognostic importance were stage, nodal metastases (P less than 0.001) and tumour grade (P less than 0.01). CONCLUSION: Primary surgical treatment for young women with early disease allows ovarian conservation and the avoidance of radiotherapy in 80% of them. Such treatment results in less local recurrence, particularly evident in patients with moderate or poorly differentiated tumours and a lower incidence of serious morbidity.
OBJECTIVE: To review the method and results of treatment of carcinoma of the cervix in women less than 40 years old. DESIGN: Retrospective review of all available case records. SETTING: Yorkshire Regional Health Authority. SUBJECTS: 428 women less than 40 years old treated for stage IB-IV carcinoma of the cervix between 1975 and 1984 inclusive. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall survival by stage, effect of age, identifiable factors of prognostic significance, survival, grade 3 morbidity and pattern of recurrence in relation to treatment. RESULTS: The 5-year actuarial percentage survival by stage was 78.4 (IB), 54.4 (II), 18.4 (III) and 0 (IV). Identifiable factors of prognostic importance were stage, nodal metastases (P less than 0.001) and tumour grade (P less than 0.01). CONCLUSION: Primary surgical treatment for young women with early disease allows ovarian conservation and the avoidance of radiotherapy in 80% of them. Such treatment results in less local recurrence, particularly evident in patients with moderate or poorly differentiated tumours and a lower incidence of serious morbidity.