title: Role of endocervical curettage in the preoperative staging of endometrial carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The presence of cervical involvement is important to establish a rational treatment for endometrial cancer patients. We investigated the value of preoperative endocervical curettage (ECC) in predicting cervical involvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative ECC of 290 patients with clinical stage I epithelial endometrial cancer was compared with histopathology of the uterus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amongst all ECCs, 245 (84.5%) were negative and 45 (15.5%) were positive for endometrial cancer. In the uterine specimen, cervical involvement was found in 20% (58/290). PPV and NPV of ECC were 86.7% and 92.2%. False negative and false positive ECC occurred in 6.6% and 2.1%. Of all patients with positive ECC, 46.7% had FIGO stage II disease and 46.7% had extra uterine tumor spread (FIGO III, IV).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ECC is an acceptable diagnostic tool to predict the presence or absence of cervical involvement in early stage endometrial cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Claudia B M
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bijen
authors.forename: Geertruida H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: de Bock
authors.forename: Klaske A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: ten Hoor
authors.forename: Hans W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Nijman
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hollema
authors.forename: Marian J E
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mourits
mesh_terms: D004107:Dilatation and Curettage / Q000379:methods*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies