title: Conservative excisional laser conization for early invasive cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possibility of conservative excisional laser conization for early invasive cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred one women with early invasive squamous cell cancer were treated by laser conization and semiradical or radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Their histologic findings and clinical outcomes were evaluated retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred Ia1 cases without confluent invasion or vessel permeation receiving only laser therapy had no recurrent disease. There was no lymph node metastasis in 123 Ia1 and 24 Ia2 cases with stromal invasion of under 4 mm in depth regardless of confluent invasion and vessel permeation. However, lymph node metastasis was detected in 1 of 13 Ia2 cases with stromal invasion of over 4 mm in depth and in 5 of 41 Ib1 cases. All of these six cases had vessel permeation in the resected specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conservative excisional laser conization may be possible for stage Ia cervical cancer with stromal invasion of under 4 mm in depth. However, the risk of lymph node metastasis should be still considered for those lesions with vessel permeation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan. gyn017@poh.osaka-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masatsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueki
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanemura
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izuma
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terai
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueki
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019092:Conization / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*