Conservative Surgery in Cervical Cancer : Hope of Young

Abstract

As you know, cervical cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in Thailand. The prevalence of new cases in Thailand is more than 6,000 new cases in 2003(1). About half of the patients would died of disease. Although median age at diagnosis of cervical cancer is 52 years old(2), nowadays, our Thai people are well educated and delayed marriage. It is estimated that 33% of the cervical cancer patients in Thailand are diagnosed in woman younger than 45 years old. From the data of Siriraj Hospital, the proportion of birth rate was 15% in women 35-44 years of age(3)

. Thus, at gynecologic clinic, you might face with nulliparous ladies with invasive cervical cancer. However, the standard treatment of cervical cancer stage IA2-IB is still radical hysterectomy with bilateral pelvic node dissection. This includes removal of cervix and uterus, radical resection of parametrium and upper vagina, and pelvic lymph node dissection. The nulliparous patients might ask you whether they can save the “womb”