Development of a machine learning-based model for predicting positive margins in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) treatment by Cold Knife Conization(CKC): a single-center retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyze factors associated with positive surgical margins following cold knife conization (CKC) in patients with cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and to develop a machine-learning-based risk prediction model. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 3,343 patients who underwent CKC for HSIL at our institution. Logistic regression was employed to examine the relationship between demographic and pathological characteristics and the occurrence of positive surgical margins. Various machine learning methods were then applied to construct and evaluate the performance of the risk prediction model. RESULTS: The overall rate of positive surgical margins was 12.9%. Independent risk factors identified included glandular involvement (OR = 1.716, 95% CI: 1.345-2.189), transformation zone III (OR = 2.838, 95% CI: 2.258-3.568), HPV16/18 infection (OR = 2.863, 95% CI: 2.247-3.648), multiple HR-HPV infections (OR = 1.930, 95% CI: 1.537-2.425), TCT ≥ ASC-H (OR = 3.251, 95% CI: 2.584-4.091), and lesions covering ≥ 3 quadrants (OR = 3.264, 95% CI: 2.593-4.110). Logistic regression demonstrated the best prediction performance, with an accuracy of 74.7%, sensitivity of 76.7%, specificity of 74.4%, and AUC of 0.826. CONCLUSION: Independent risk factors for positive margins after CKC include HPV16/18 infection, multiple HR-HPV infections, glandular involvement, extensive lesion coverage, high TCT grades, and involvement of transformation zone III. The logistic regression model provides a robust and clinically valuable tool for predicting the risk of positive margins, guiding clinical decisions and patient management post-CKC.

Analysis of the clinical characteristics and surgical methods of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix in postmenopausal women: A retrospective case study.

The purpose of this study was to thoroughly evaluate the clinical features and surgical options for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) in postmenopausal women. A total of 308 patients diagnosed with HSIL through colposcopic cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage were included. Their clinical characteristics, surgical treatments, and postoperative pathology were analyzed. Key findings include: 1. Patients with positive preoperative thinprep cytologic test (TCT) results and postoperative pathology indicating HSIL or squamous cell carcinoma (≥HSIL) were significantly more frequent than those with negative preoperative TCT results (P < .05). 2. Univariate analysis indicated significant impacts of TCT, human papillomavirus (HPV) type, transformation zone (TZ) location, and surgical technique on postoperative pathology (P < .05). 3. Logistic regression analysis confirmed significant influences of TCT, HPV type, TZ location, and surgical method on postoperative pathology outcomes (P < .05), showing that each unit increase in TZ raised the probability of ≥HSIL in postoperative pathology by 49.7%. In surgical comparisons, cold knife conization (CKC) and extrafascial hysterectomy resulted in 8.379 and 4.427 times higher probabilities of ≥HSIL in postoperative pathology, respectively, compared to loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). 4. Surgical methods significantly influenced margin results (P < .05). After LEEP, 17.5% of cases had positive margins, compared to 9.4% after CKC, and 3.7% after extrafascial hysterectomy, indicating the highest rate of positive surgical margins occurred with LEEP. 1. Combined TCT and HPV screening is crucial for cervical cancer prevention, early detection, and management in postmenopausal women. Women with positive results for both TCT and HPV should undergo colposcopic cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage. 2. For patients with TZ3, CKC is the recommended surgical option. 3. CKC is the preferred treatment for postmenopausal women with HSIL, as it effectively diagnoses and treats the lesion, showing superior outcomes in managing postmenopausal HSIL.

Reduced risk of CIN2+ recurrence in women immunized with a 9-valent HPV vaccine post-excision: Retrospective cohort study.

The main aim of our study was to investigate the specific contribution of a 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine (9vHPV) to the recurrence risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) in women vaccinated post-excision. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective monocentric cohort study in women aged 22-49 years undergoing conization between 2014 and 2023. The 9vHPV-vaccinated women were matched to unvaccinated women for age and follow-up duration in a 1:2 ratio to eliminate allocation bias. The risk of CIN2+ recurrence was estimated by the incidence rate ratio using Poisson regression with adjustment for comorbidities, smoking status, nulliparity, CIN grade, positive cone margin, and HPV genotypes. The CIN2+ recurrence rates in 147 women enrolled in the analysis were 18 and 2 cases per 100,000 person-days for unvaccinated and vaccinated women, respectively, during a mean follow-up period of 30 months (±22 months). A reduction in CIN2+ recurrences by 90% (95% confidence interval: 12-99%) was documented in 9vHPV-vaccinated participants compared to women undergoing only surgical excision. Moreover, vaccinated women with a positive cone margin showed a 42% (though non-significant) reduction in relapse (p = .661). Full post-conization vaccination with the 9vHPV contributed to an additional reduction in the risk of CIN2+ recurrence. This finding is consistent with current knowledge and suggests a high adjuvant effect of the 9vHPV vaccine.

Aerobic vaginitis is associated with carbonic anhydrase IX in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between vaginal microbiota, carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) and histological findings of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The study included 132 females, among them 66 were diagnosed with high-grade intraepithelial lesion (CIN2, CIN3, and cancer), 14 with low-grade disease, and 52 assigned to the control group. An interview focused on the behavior risk factors, together with vaginal fluid pH measurement, wet mount microscopy, detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, and Trichomonas vaginalis were performed. After colposcopy, high-grade abnormalities were detected via direct biopsies and treated with conization procedure. Conuses were immuno-stained with CAIX antibody. The histological findings were CIN1 (n = 14), and CIN2+ (included CIN2 (n = 10), CIN3 (n = 49), and cancer (n = 7; squamous cell carcinomas)). Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) was similar between the groups. Moderate or severe aerobic vaginitis (msAV) was diagnosed more often among CIN2+ (53.0%) than CIN1 (21.4%). Moderate or strong immunostaining of CAIX (msCAIX) was not detected among CIN1 cases. Thus, msAV was prevalent in CAIX non-stained group (p = 0.049) among CIN2 patients. Co-location of msAV and msCAIX was found in CIN3. Regression model revealed that msAV associated with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia independently from smoking and the number of partners.

Reevaluation of negative cervical conizations: Frequency, diagnostic errors, risk factors and management.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical conization is an effective treatment for precancerous lesions. However, in cases where no high-grade lesion is identified in the surgical specimen, managing these patients may be challenging due to the absence of established follow-up protocols for negative conizations. This study aimed to assess the negative conization rates at our institution by histopathological review, identify diagnostic errors, possible risk and recurrence factors and propose follow-up strategies for this group of patients. METHODS: A retrospective study from January-2010 to December-2020 analyzed patients with negative conization including all surgical techniques and procedure indications. Biopsy and cervical conizations slides were reviewed and patients who kept a negative result underwent deeper levels sectioning of the paraffin blocks with immunohistochemical stains application: p16, Ki-67 and geminin. Data were compared with a control group composed by 29 women with CIN3. RESULTS: Out of 1022 conizations, 186 were negative (18.1%), with 151 cases selected for the study after excluding 35 patients. Following pathology review, 4 patients were excluded due to false-positive cervical biopsy results, 16 for false-negative conization results and 9 for hidden dysplasia identified after deeper sectioning. The remaining 122 patients were considered truly negative cones (11.9%) and exhibited IHC staining with p16 positive in 20.4% of cases, low Ki-67 expression, and low geminin score in most cases. Specimens with CIN 1 had higher prevalence of p16 staining, Ki-67 expression and geminin score when compared to absence of neoplasia, nevertheless geminin had no statistical difference. Older age, higher parity and IHC pattern with negative p16, low Ki-67 and geminin expressions were identified as risk factors for negative cones (p<0.05). Only 10 patients recurred for high-grade lesions, with no statistically significant risk factors identified. CONCLUSIONS: The negative conization rate was 11.9%, with diagnostic errors identified across pre-surgical biopsy, cone specimen, and deeper levels. Risk factors included older age, higher parity, low expression of p16, Ki-67 and geminin (p<0.05). Recurrence represented 8.1% of the negative cones, without identification of statistically significant risk factors. Pathological review with deeper level sections and 2-year follow-up are recommended for patients with negative conizations.

The role of multiple high-risk human papillomavirus infection on the persistence recurrence of high-grade cervical lesions after standard treatment: A systematic review and a meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The role of multiple high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infections on the occurrence of persistence/recurrence of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) after conization/surgery for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search of Pubmed/Medine, Scopus, Cochrane databases from inception to June 30, 2023 was performed. Three reviewers independently screened the abstracts of the selected studies and extracted data from full-text articles. The data were subsequently tabulated and compared for consistency. The bias associated with each included study was evaluated according to the OSQE method. PROSPERO registration number CRD42023433022. RESULTS: Out of 1606 records screened, 22 full text articles met the inclusion criteria. A total of 8321 subjects treated (loop electrosurgical excision, laser or surgery) because of HSIL were followed-up and included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of overall persistence and/or recurrence was 17.6 (95% CI: 12.3-23.5) in multiple and 14.3 (95% CI: 10.1-19.2) in single HR-HPV infections detected shortly before or at surgery. The pooled rate of multiple HR-HPV infections was 25% (95% CI: 20.4-30). The odds ratio of histologically confirmed HSIL persistence and/or recurrence was significantly higher (OR: 1.38, 95% CI:1.08-1.75, p = 0.01, heterogeneity = 39%) among multiple than single HR-HPV infections. Increased risk of HSIL persistence/recurrence was more marked among studies with multiple HR-HPVs prevalence ≥25% (12 studies, N = 3476) (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.18-1.84, heterogeneity = 0%) and in those evaluating true histologically confirmed recurrence after at least 6 months of negative follow-up (9 studies, N = 5073) (OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.17-2.37, heterogeneity = 37%). Multiple HR-HPVs infection detected during follow-up visits had no effect on the risk of recurrence although the number of included studies was small (4 studies, N = 1248) (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.68-1.39, heterogeneity = 0%). The risk of bias was rated as high in 10 and low-moderate in 12 studies, respectively. In subgroup analysis, the risk of bias of the included studies (low/moderate vs. high), had a small, although not significant effect on the odds ratios of persistence/recurrence of HSIL (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.23-2 for low-moderate risk of bias and OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.65-1.75 for high risk of bias; p-value for subgroup differences = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple HR-HPVs infections at the time of standard treatment of HSIL entail a small but significant increased risk of persistence/recurrence of HSIL and should be taken into account in the follow-up plan.

Comparative study of treatment efficacy in severe intraepithelial squamous cell lesions and preinvasive cervical cancer by conization and chlorin e6-mediated fluorescence-assisted systemic photodynamic therapy.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer (CC) occupies a leading position in incidence among young women of reproductive age. In this connection, it is urgent to search for the most effective approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of this pathology. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the PDT method using Cе6 with the control of the photobleaching using video and spectral fluorescence diagnostic methods, to develop the method of fluorescence-assisted systemic photodynamic therapy mediated with chlorin e6 for treatment CIN 3 and CIS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized comparative clinical study was conducted involving 94 women aged 18 to 49 years with histologically verified severe intraepithelial squamous cell lesions of the cervix or preinvasive cervical cancer. The patients were included in 2 groups: in the first group conization of the cervix was performed with curettage of the remaining part of the cervical canal; patients in the second group underwent the chlorin e6-mediated fluorescence-assisted systemic photodynamic therapy. RESULTS: The absolute majority of patients in the main group after the first course of chlorin e6-mediated fluorescence-assisted systemic photodynamic therapy showed normalization of cytological parameters and colposcopic picture, while women from the comparison group showed signs of cervical lesions statistically significantly more often. These changes corresponded to the dynamics of the proliferation markers expression in the cells of intraepithelial squamous cell lesions. Also, patients of the second group who were planning a pregnancy had better reproductive outcomes after treatment compared to those of the first group. CONCLUSION: In general, higher clinical efficacy and safety of the use of the chlorin e6-mediated fluorescence-assisted systemic photodynamic therapy in the treatment of intraepithelial squamous cell lesions and preinvasive cervical cancer have been established compared to the use of standard treatment methods.

Fertility-sparing surgery vs standard surgery for early-stage cervical cancer: difference in 5-year life expectancy by tumor size.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer incidence among premenopausal women is rising, and fertility-sparing surgery serves as an important option for this young population. There is a lack of evidence on what tumor size cutoff should be used to define candidacy for fertility-sparing surgery. OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe how the association between fertility-sparing surgery (compared with standard surgery) and life expectancy varies by tumor size among patients with cervical cancers measuring ≤4 cm in largest diameter. Our secondary objective was to quantify the probability of undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy among patients who underwent fertility-sparing surgery as a function of tumor size. STUDY DESIGN: We identified patients in the National Cancer Database aged ≤45 years, diagnosed with stage I cervical cancer with tumors ≤4 cm between 2006 and 2018, who received no preoperative radiation or chemotherapy, and who underwent either fertility-sparing surgery (cone or trachelectomy, either simple or radical) or standard surgery (simple or radical hysterectomy) as their primary treatment. Propensity-score matching was performed to compare patients who underwent fertility-sparing surgery with those who underwent standard surgery. A flexible parametric model was employed to quantify the difference in life expectancy within 5 years of diagnosis (restricted mean survival time) based on tumor size among patients who underwent fertility-sparing and those who underwent standard surgery. In addition, among those who underwent fertility-sparing surgery, a logistic regression model was used to explore the relationship between tumor size and the probability of receiving adjuvant radiation. RESULTS: A total of 11,946 patients met the inclusion criteria of whom 904 (7.6%) underwent fertility-sparing surgery. After propensity-score matching, 897 patients who underwent fertility-sparing surgery were matched 1:1 with those who underwent standard surgery. Although the 5-year life expectancy was similar among patients who had fertility sparing surgery and those who had standard surgery regardless of tumor sizes, the estimates of life-expectancy differences associated with fertility-sparing surgery were more precise among patients with smaller tumors (1-cm tumor: restricted mean survival time difference, -0.10 months; 95% confidence interval, -0.67 to 0.47) than among those with larger tumors (4-cm tumor: restricted mean survival time difference, -0.11 months; 95% confidence interval, -3.79 to 3.57). The probability of receiving adjuvant radiation increased with tumor size, ranging from 5.6% (95% confidence interval, 3.9-7.9) for a 1-cm tumor to 37% (95% confidence interval, 24.3-51.8) for a 4-cm tumor. CONCLUSION: Within 5 years of diagnosis, young patients with stage I cancers measuring ≤4 cm had similar survival outcomes after either fertility-sparing surgery or standard surgery. However, because few patients with tumors >2 cm underwent fertility-sparing surgery, a clinically important survival difference could not be excluded in this population.

Adenocarcinoma In Situ of the Uterine Cervix (AIS) Treated by Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure Strategy: An Observational Study.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the results of treatment of adenocarcinoma in situ by loop electrosurgical excision procedure and the safety of a conservative strategy. METHODS: Identification of all cases of adenocarcinoma in situ treated by loop electrosurgical excision procedure at our institution and follow-up by a conservative strategy. Completeness of the identification of all cases was secured by data from the National Pathology Registry. The treatment strategy was based on cytologic follow-up performed by a general practitioner and, irrespective of margin status of the cone, only the results of the postoperative surveillance were indicative of further treatment. RESULTS: A total of 224 patients were identified. The overall recurrence rate with a mean follow-up time of 87.8 months was 7.6% (17/224). The recurrence rate in patients with involved margins was significantly higher than in patients with uninvolved margins, 15.7% vs 5.2%, respectively. Six recurrences were diagnosed at first examination 6 months postconization in patients with involved margins. They were treated with hysterectomy in 4 cases and reconization in 1 case. If involvement of margins alone had been an indication of further therapy (hysterectomy or reconization) immediately after conization, the conservative management strategy prevented 46 surgical procedures. Two cases of invasive cancer were diagnosed during follow-up, 150 months and 196 months after primary treatment, and after normal follow-up examinations. These 2 cases must be considered de novo cases and cannot be considered treatment failures. CONCLUSION: The conservative management strategy thus seems safe, and unnecessary surgical procedures were avoided.

Effects of adding low-dose esketamine to sufentanil and propofol sedation during cervical conization: a single-centre, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cervical conization is a brief but painful procedure that can be performed under sufficient sedation with propofol and opioids. However, this sedation approach comes with a high risk of sedation-related adverse events (SRAEs). Esketamine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, causes less cardiorespiratory depression than opioids. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of adding a low dose of esketamine to propofol and sufentanil sedation as an opioid-reduced regimen. METHODS: A total of 122 consecutive patients with ASA I-II, body mass index < 30, and STOP-BANG score < 3 who underwent cervical conization were enrolled and randomly divided into Group S and Group ES. Using a closed-loop target-controlled infusion (TCI) pump with a target bispectral index (BIS) value of 60 ± 5, patients in Group S were sedated with 0.2 mcg·kg-1 sufentanil and propofol, while patients in Group ES were sedated with 0.15 mg·kg-1 esketamine, 0.1 mcg·kg-1 sufentanil and propofol. The primary outcome was the incidence and severity of SRAEs, while the secondary outcomes included effectiveness of sedation, awakening time, psychotomimetic side effects, postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and patient and gynaecologist satisfaction. RESULTS: Data from 120 patients were analysed. The incidence of composite SRAEs was significantly higher in Group S than in Group ES (85.0% vs. 56.7%, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the severity of SRAEs was higher in Group S than in Group ES (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the effectiveness of sedation, awakening time, psychotomimetic side effects, postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, or patient and gynaecologist satisfaction between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Adding low-dose esketamine to propofol and sufentanil sedation reduces the incidence and severity of SRAEs in patients undergoing cervical conization, with equal sedation efficacy, recovery quality, and no additional psychomimetic side effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2000040457 , 28/11/2020.

Endocervical crypt involvement by high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and its association with high-grade histopathological recurrence after cervical excision in women with negative excision margins: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that endocervical crypt involvement by high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) may represent a risk factor for disease recurrence after cervical treatment. OBJECTIVES: To provide a systematic review and meta-analysis on whether endocervical crypt involvement by high-grade CIN on the excised cervical specimen is associated with high-grade histopathological recurrence during the follow-up of women after cervical excisional treatment. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Medline, Scopus, Central, and Clinical Trials.gov databases from inception till May 2023. SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies that reported on women with a single cervical treatment with any method of excision for CIN2 or CIN3 lesion, negative excision margins, and whose recurrence was defined histopathologically were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently evaluated study eligibility. We used the fixed effects model for meta-analysis. MAIN RESULTS: There were 4 eligible studies included in the present systematic review that evaluated 1088 women treated with either large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) or with cold knife conization (CKC). We found no significant association of endocervical crypt involvement by CIN2-3 with high-grade histopathological recurrence at follow-up after cervical excision (OR 1.93; 95% CI 0.51-3.35). The subgroup analysis of women with LLETZ cervical excision showed again no significant association with high-grade histopathological recurrence at follow-up (OR 2.00; 95% CI 0.26-3.74). CONCLUSION: Endocervical crypt involvement by high-grade CIN does not seem to be a risk factor for high-grade histopathological recurrence after cervical excision with negative excision margins.

Radical Hysterectomy With Preoperative Conization in Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review and Pairwise and Network Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The investigation of the role of preoperative conization in cervical cancer aiming to explore its potential clinical significance. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science, up to April 28, 2023. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: (1) Observational cohort studies, (2) studies comparing radical hysterectomy with preoperative conization (CO) vs radical hysterectomy without preoperative conization (NCO) in patients with early-stage cervical cancer, and (3) studies comparing disease-free survival outcomes. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Two reviewers independently extracted the data and assessed the quality of the studies. The meta-analysis used combined hazard ratios along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals to compare CO and NCO. We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to compare minimally invasive CO, open CO, minimally invasive NCO, and open NCO. Our study included 15 retrospective trials, 10 of which were used to traditional pairwise meta-analysis and 8 for network meta-analysis. The NCO group exhibited a notably higher probability of cancer recurrence than the CO group (hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.65). In the network meta-analysis, minimally invasive NCO showed the worst survival outcome. CONCLUSION: Preoperative conization seems to be a protective factor in decreasing recurrence risk, assisting clinicians in predicting survival outcomes for patients with early-stage cervical cancer. It may potentially aid in selecting suitable candidates for minimally invasive surgery in clinical practice.

Recurrence After Biopsy-Confirmed Cervical High-Grade Intraepithelial Lesion Followed by Negative Conization: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: The aim of the study is to assess the recurrence rate (as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ [CIN2+]) in patients who had a confirmed high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (CIN2-3) in a cervical biopsy specimen followed by a negative conization specimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. Ovid/MEDLINE, Ovid/Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception until January 2023. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (ID number CRD42023393951). The search identified 3,089 articles; 1,530 were removed as duplicates, and 1,559 titles and abstracts were assessed for inclusion. The full text of 26 studies was assessed for eligibility, and finally, 12 studies with 1,036 patients were included. All included studies were retrospective cohort studies. A proportion meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: For patients with negative conization specimens, the recurrence rate as CIN2+ during follow-up was 6% (95% CI, 1.8%-12.1%; I2 = 49.2; p < .0001, 215 patients and 4 studies) in the proportion meta-analysis, ranging from 0.3% to 13.0% for the individual studies. For patients with ≤CIN1 conization specimens, the recurrence rate as CIN2+ during follow-up was 3.6% (95% CI, 1.2%-7%; I2 = 75.1; p < .0001, 991 patients and 10 studies) in the proportion meta-analysis and ranged from 0.6% to 13.0% for the individual studies. CONCLUSIONS: The recurrence rate as CIN2+ for patients with a confirmed high-grade intraepithelial lesion on a cervical biopsy followed by a negative conization specimen is 6%. In patients with negative and CIN1 conization specimens, the recurrence rate is 3.6%.

Robotic radical hysterectomy after conization for patients with small volume early-stage cervical cancer.

Laparoscopy and robotics are recommended for managing gynecological cancer, as they are associated with lower morbidity and comparable outcomes to open surgery. However, in the case of early cervical cancer, new evidence suggests worse oncological outcomes with these approaches compared to open surgery, though the limited number of robotic cases makes it challenging to draw definitive conclusions for this particular approach. The prior conization has been proposed as a strategy to reduce the risk of tumor spillage and contamination during minimally invasive (MIS) radical hysterectomy (RH). Retrospective studies have indicated that undergoing conization before RH is linked to a reduced risk of recurrences, especially in cervical tumors measuring less than 2 cm. Nevertheless, these studies lack the statistical power needed to definitively establish conization as a recommended step before RH. Furthermore, these studies do not have enough cases utilizing the robotic approach and specific conclusions cannot be drawn from this technique. The question of whether a subset of cases would benefit from preoperative conization and whether conization should be performed to recommend MIS over open surgery remains unanswered. Prospective clinical trials involving women diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer <2 cm, randomized between undergoing conization before robotic RH or without prior conization are mandatory to assess the role of conization before robotic RH in cervical cancer.

Risk Factors for Persistence or Recurrence of High-Grade Cervical Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions.

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate whether the colposcopic lesion size , age, kind of surgery, the status of the surgical margins and the expression of the p16 and Ki-67 immunomarkers are risk factors for persistence or recurrence of the lesion. METHODS: a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study of patients submitted to cold knife conization (CKC) or the loop electrosurgical excision procedure for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 or 3. The colposcopic lesion size, age, surgical method, involvement of the surgical margins, and p16/Ki-67 immunomarker expression were analyzed in relation to lesion persistence and recurrence. RESULTS: seventy-one women were treated with cold knife conization and 200 were treated with loop electrosurgical excision. Of these, 95 had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2, 173 had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3, 183 had free surgical margins, 76 had compromised margins, and 12 showed damage by processing artifact or fragments. Among the 76 cases with positive margins, 55, 11, and 10 showed endocervical margin involvement, ectocervical margin involvement, and both endocervial and ectocervical margin involvement, respectively. Of the 264 followed-up patients, 38 had persistent or recurrent disease. A multiple logistic regression indicated that positive endocervical margins are the only independent risk factor for the persistence/recurrence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. No significant association was identified between the colposcopic lesion size, age, surgery type, or p16/Ki-67 immunomarker expression and lesion persistence or recurrence.

Frequency of post-treatment disease after excisional procedure in stage IA1 squamous cervical carcinoma - a case series.

Early stages of cervical cancer in young women need conservative treatments. Electrosurgical therapies (LLETZ, LEEP, SWETZ, NETZ) have been recommended for these women. However, there are recommendations to perform a second excision when the specimen margins are not free of disease. This can lead to some important complications. This article aims to verify the frequency of residual invasive or microinvasive disease after the excisional procedure in women with IA1CC. Data on women with IA1CC diagnosed between 1990 and 2022, were retrieved from medical records. Post-treatment disease was detected during a second surgical procedure or postoperative follow-up. Among the 69 included women, three (4.3 percent; CI95 percent 0-9.2) had residual microinvasive lesions, while none showed invasive disease during a second procedure or follow-up. Only the age of 37 years or more was significantly related to the presence of preinvasive or microinvasive residual lesions. Nearly 80 percent of the women who underwent a second procedure showed no residual lesions. The absence of invasive disease in a second procedure or during the follow-up of these women and the large proportion of women with no residual lesion questions the need for a new surgical procedure even when the surgical margins of the initial specimen are involved.

Risk stratification of invasive cervical cancer diagnosed after cervical conization.

BACKGROUND: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) diagnosis is based on colposcopy-aided histological examination. However, its accuracy in CIN diagnosis is limited. Some invasive cervical cancers (ICCs) are diagnosed after cervical conization. Therefore, risk stratification of undetected ICC is particularly important for the management of patients with CIN. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for undetected ICC. We especially focused on the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological characteristics (including age, parity, and preoperative diagnosis) and HPV genotypes of 348 patients diagnosed with CIN or adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) who underwent cervical conization at our hospital between 2008 and 2016. The relationship between preoperative factors, including HPV genotypes and post-conization ICC, was evaluated. RESULTS: Among the 348 patients, 322, 7, and 19 had preoperative CIN3, CIN2, and AIS, respectively; 181 were nulliparous. The median patient age was 41 (23-83) years. HPV genotyping was performed on 237 patients. Overall, post-conization ICC was detected in 16 patients (4.6%). Multivariate analysis showed that nulliparity and HPV16 positivity were the independent risk factors for post-conization ICC (OR: 6.01, P = 0.0302; OR: 5.26, P = 0.0347, respectively). The combination of HPV16 status and parity improved diagnostic accuracy. Seven of 53 HPV16-positive cases (13%) without childbirth history were diagnosed with post-conization ICC. In contrast, none of the HPV16-negative cases with childbirth history was diagnosed with post-conization ICC. CONCLUSION: HPV16 positivity and nulliparity were identified as risk factors for undetected ICC. Careful treatment selection and preoperative scrupulous examination are especially important in these cases.

Effect of Pap Smear Cytology, HPV Genotyping on the Concordance of Colposcopy and Conization Results.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the conization results performed due to human papillomavirus (HPV), smear, colposcopy results or clinician's decision and determine the factors that predict ≥CIN2. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective comparative study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, between January 2011 and December 2021. METHODOLOGY: Women with known HPV results who underwent conization in the Gynaecology clinic were retrospectively included. Age, HPV genotypes, conization, and colposcopy results of the patients were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups as those with and without ≥CIN2 and compared in terms of clinicopathological features. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty eight (82.8%) of the 517 patients were premenopausal and perimenopausal, and 89 (17.2%) of the patients with a median age of 42 years (range: 30-65 years) were postmenopausal. While 374 were HPV 16/18 positive, 143 were non-16/18 HPV positive. Conization result was normal in 202 (39.1%) patients, CIN1 in 129 (25.0%) patients, and CIN 2-3 in 186 (36.0%) patients. In the HPV 16/18 positive group, conization result was normal in 38.2% of patients, CIN1 in 20.9%, and CIN 2-3 in 40.9%; these rates were 41.3%, 35.7%, and 23.1% in the HPV-other group, respectively (p <0.001). In the logistic regression model, age, HPV type (16/18), and smear cytology results (≥ASC-US) were tested as independent factors predicting ≥CIN2. CONCLUSION: HPV 16/18 positivity and smear cytology result (≥ASC-US) were the factors predicting ≥CIN2. Smear and HPV genotyping can make an important contribution to detecting false

Extensive lesions and a positive cone margin are strong predictors of residual disease in subsequent hysterectomy following conization for squamous intraepithelial lesion grade 2 or 3 study design.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the predictive factors for post-conization of residual disease in subsequent hysterectomy for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or 3. METHODS: This retrospective study included 267 patients with histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or 3 who underwent hysterectomy within 7 months after conization. Clinical data (e.g., age, menopausal status, gravidity, parity, type of transformation zone, conization method) as well as pathological data pertaining to conization and hysterectomy were collected from medical records. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between the variables and risk of residual lesions in hysterectomy samples. RESULTS: Overall, 70 (26.2%) patients had residual lesions in their hysterectomy specimens. Univariate analyses revealed that age ≥ 50 years (p=0.019), endocervical gland involvement(p=0.013), positive margin(p < 0.001), and involvement of 3-4 quadrants(p < 0.001) were risk factors for residual lesions. Conversely, postmenopausal status, gravidity ≥ 3, parity ≥ 2, loop electrosurgical excision procedure, and type III transformation zone were not risk factors for residual lesions. A positive margin(p < 0.001) and multiple-quadrant involvement(p < 0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for residual lesions on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple-quadrant involvement and a positive cone margin were reliable predictive factors for residual disease. Total hysterectomy or repeated cervical conization should be considered for patients with these two risk factors. The identification of high-risk patients with extensive lesions by colposcopic examination before conization is indispensable, as it will enable surgeons to perform conization with consideration of risk factors and possibly improve the approach used for the excisional procedure. For high-risk patients, colposcope-guided cold-knife conization is preferred when resources permit.