Therapy of minimal cervical cancer.

The term “minimal cervical cancer” provokes the impression that one is dealing with an entity for which a generally applicable therapeutic concept can be outlined. This is supported by the fact that after long discussions the FIGO classification of 1976 defined stage Ia as microinvasive cancer (early stromal invasion), whereas all other cases of stage I are included in stage Ib. This impression needs to be corrected. “Minimal cervical cancer” must be interpreted as a spectrum of different entities each of which deserves a special therapeutic assessment. This concept is due to the following reasons: 1. The knowledge which has accumulated concerning the different morphological pictures of minimal cervical cancer 2. The role of other factors which have to be considered for therapy planning in the individual patient