title: Lymphocyte-infiltrated FIGO Stage IIB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix is a prominent factor for disease-free survival.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The data of histopathological factors affecting prognosis of patients with FIGO Stage IIB squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix are rarely known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the histopathological factors rendering therapeutic failure in patients with FIGO Stage IIB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survival and prognostic factors were analyzed in 83 patients with FIGO stage IIB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix treated with radical hysterectomy and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy between 1980 and 1989. The relapse-free and overall survival rate was 61.4%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Univariate analysis demonstrated that the degree of lymphoreticular cells infiltrating the cervix, lymph node metastases, barrel shape of the cervix, lymph-vascular space invasion, more than three lymph nodes involved, and bulky tumor size (i.e. tumor size larger than 4 cm) were of prognostic significance in disease-free survival. However, pronounced lymphoreticular cells infiltrating the cervical cancer was the only independent factor to disease-free survival in patients with FIGO stage IIB squamous cell carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection using multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that the immune function of the host might play a crucial role in the process of anti-neoplasm even if local advanced carcinoma of the cervix is noted. Individual therapies may very well have limited efficacy based on the patient's tumor or the inherent host response. How to strengthen the power of the host's immune system may offer another thinking process to treat such a subgroup of patients. More studies are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taiwan.
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008499:Medical Records; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery