title: Is there an effect of perioperative blood transfusion on the outcome of radical hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy for cervical cancer in South Africa?
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an effect of perioperative blood transfusion on the outcome of radical hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy for cervical cancer. One hundred and thirty-one patients with cervical cancer were treated by Wertheim radical hysterectomy in the period from 1984-1991. Eighty-six patients received blood transfusions during surgery or within two weeks, whereas 45 patients did not receive any blood transfusion. Transfused and non-transfused patients did not differ with respect to mean age, race, weight, FIGO-stage, cell-type, grade, size, depth of invasion and nodal involvement. Transfused patients had more blood loss, longer surgical time and lower haemoglobin levels. Using log rank analysis, the calculated five-year survival was 81% for the transfused group and 84% for the non-transfused group, a non-significant difference. The five-year disease-free survival rate was 87% for the transfused group and 88% for the non-transfused group. This study suggests that perioperative blood transfusion does not adversely influence survival after the Wertheim operation for cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Leiden, Netherlands.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wolterbeek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Soeters
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Wijk
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Van der Velde
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Peters
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*