Twelve-year experience with laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy in cervical cancer

Abstract Objectives This study aims to evaluate the morbidity, oncological outcome, and prognostic factors of cervical cancer patients treated with laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy (LRH). Methods Patients with cervical cancer undergoing LRH at the First People's Hospital of Foshan between August 1998 and March 2010 were enrolled in this study. The medical records were reviewed. Results A total of 240 patients were identified. According to FIGO stage, the number of patients with stage Ia2, Ib1, Ib2, IIa, and IIb was 2, 163, 34, 35, and 6, respectively. The conversion rate was 1.25%. Intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in 7.08% and 9.16% patients, respectively. Other medical problems included 74 cases (30%) of bladder dysfunction. Excluding the lost cases, the median follow-up of 221 cases was 35months, and 5-year survival rate for Ia2, Ib1, Ib2, IIa was 100%, 82%, 66%, 60%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed factors impacting the survival rate were FIGO stage>Ib1, non-squamous histologic type, deep cervical stromal invasion, and lymph node metastasis ( P =0.027, 0.023, 0.007, 0.000). The Cox-proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that only lymph node metastasis (OR=3.827, P =0.000) was independent of poor prognostic factor. The 5-year survival rates in Ib1 were 88% with negative lymph nodes and 59% with positive lymph nodes ( P =0.000). Conclusions Our data demonstrate that LRH can be performed in stage Ia2–Ib1 or less advanced node negative cervical cancer patients without compromising survival. The feasibility of LRH for more advanced patients needs further investigations.