Nicole Ireland, Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 10:05 PM ET
A new Canadian study says some women with early-stage cervical cancer can be safely treated with a less invasive hysterectomy with fewer complications.
The current standard of care is a radical hysterectomy, which removes not only the uterus and cervix, but also the surrounding tissue and up to a third of the vagina, said lead author and director of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at Queen’s University. said Dr. Lois Shepherd, professor of medicine. Kingston, Ontario.
However, the researchers found that women who had a “simple” hysterectomy, in which the surrounding tissue and most of the vagina were left intact, had significantly lower hysterectomies after three years than women who had a radical hysterectomy. They found that the risk of cancer recurrence in the pelvic area was not high.
“[This study]establishes an option for women with early-stage, low-risk cervical cancer that is far less invasive, far less invasive and has fewer side effects,” Professor Shepherd said in an interview on Wednesday.
Women who undergo radical hysterectomy are more likely to experience urinary incontinence and sexual side effects after the procedure, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Simple hysterectomy should only be an option for cervical cancer patients who meet strict criteria, said lead author Dr. Marie Plante, a gynecologic oncologist at Université Laval in Quebec.
The cancer must be early stage and the surface lesion must be 2 cm or smaller. Additionally, the lymph nodes should be free of cancer, Plante said.
“There is a gradual and cumulative trend in which doctors are starting to suggest less radical surgeries based on past data that suggests a simple hysterectomy may be OK (for patients). ” she said.
However, their study is a randomized phase 3 clinical trial and provides more definitive evidence that minimally invasive surgery is safe, Plante said.
Dr. Brent Jim, a gynecological oncologist in Regina who was not involved in the study, said the new research is “practice-changing.”
She said the availability of cervical cancer screening programs in Canada means a significant number of women may be diagnosed early and then have the option of a simple hysterectomy.
The study involved 700 women with early-stage cervical cancer from 12 countries. More than a quarter of participants were recruited in Canada.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2024.
