The Evaluation of Routine Pretreatment Investigation of Cervical Cancer Patients

Abstract

A retrospective study of 524 cases of cervical cancer at Songklanagarind Hospital from February 1982 to December 1987 was done. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the usefullness of the routine pretreatment investigation and to find out whether it makes any difference in final stages from the initial clinical stages or not. In clinical stage I, pretreatment investigation made no difference to the final stage. In clinical stage II, only 1 among 136 patients (0.7%) showed ureteric obstruction from IVP which caused the final stage to be changed to stage IIIb. In clinical stage III, chest x-ray showed metastases in 6 among 212 patients (2.8%). IVP showed evidence of pelvic destruction in 2 among 211 patients (0.9%). Cystoscopy showed bladder inva sion in 7 among 175 patients (4%) and sigmoidoscopy showed an area of suspected tumor invasion in 2 patients : 1 proved to be pathologically negative for malignancy, while the other was not biopsied. 

From this study, we recommend only chest x-ray and IVP in all stages of cervi cal cancer patients while cystoscopy and sigmoidoscopy should be limited to patients at clinical stage III and IV or who have clinical indication. (Thai J obstet Gynaecol 1989; 1: 101-7.)