Radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer in obese women.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the morbidity, adequacy of surgery, and survival of obese women undergoing radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy.


METHODS
Patients with stage I and IIa cervical cancer and a body mass index (BMI) over 30 kg/m(2) and absolute weight greater than 85 kg explored with the intent for radical hysterectomy between 1986 and 1998 were identified. Patient characteristics, surgical, pathologic, and follow-up data were extracted and survival curves were generated.


RESULTS
Forty-eight obese women were identified who were explored for radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection. The median BMI was 36 kg/m(2), and the median weight was 95 kg. Thirty-five patients (73%) had stage Ib1 disease. Despite the obesity of the study group, none had severe comorbidity. The procedure was completed in 46 patients, and abandoned in two because of metastatic disease. For patients undergoing radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection, median blood loss was 800 mL. No patient developed fistulas. Residual tumor was present in 26 (57%) hysterectomy specimens, and margins were without disease in 45 specimens (98%). A median of 26 pelvic lymph nodes were obtained per procedure, and six patients (13%) had positive nodes. Five-year overall and disease-free survival are 84% (95% confidence interval [CI] 70.9, 97.5) and 80% (95% CI 65.2, 93.8), respectively, at a median follow-up of 36 months.


CONCLUSIONS
In this carefully selected obese group, we demonstrate that radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection can be performed with adequate surgical resection, acceptable morbidity, and excellent survival.
Cohn
D E
DE
Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. cohnd@msnotes.wustl.edu
Swisher
E M
EM
Herzog
T J
TJ
Rader
J S
JS
Mutch
D G
DG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D009017:Morbidity; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D010388:Pelvis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*