Multivariate analysis of the morphometric characteristics of tumours as prognostic factors in the survival of patients with uterine cervix cancer treated with radical surgery

Abstract Objectives : To analyse the influence of tumour size and anatomopathological characteristics in the prognosis of patients with early-stage cancer of the uterine cervix treated with radical surgery. Study design : A historical study of 114 patients treated at the Maternity Hospital “La Fe” in Valencia was undertaken during the period 1971–1989. The influence of the principal risk factors on prognosis were studied and their effect adjusted using a multivariate analysis based on the Cox proportional hazards model. Results : A greater dimension of the tumour, tumour area, tumour volume, tumour-cervix quotient and stromal invasion depth all have a highly significant and negative correlation with survival and disease-free survival intervals. In the multivariate analysis, tumour volume and stromal invasion depth maintained their significance as indicators of an adverse prognosis regarding the disease-free survival interval, as did the stromal invasion depth in the case of survival. Conclusions : The most important prognostic factor in the evolution of patients with a cervical carcinoma is the stromal invasion depth followed by tumour size.