Survival Improves With Open Hysterectomy for Cervical Cancer

FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with early-stage cervical cancer, disease-free and overall survival are lower for patients undergoing minimally invasive versus open radical hysterectomy, according to a study published online June 25 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Pedro T. Ramirez, M.D., from the Methodist Hospital in Houston, and colleagues compared overall survival between open and minimally invasive radical hysterectomy among cervical cancer patients followed for 4.5 years. A total of 631 patients were enrolled: 319 and 312 were assigned to minimally invasive and open surgery, respectively; 289 and 274 underwent minimally invasive and open surgery, respectively.

The researchers found that at 4.5 years, disease-free survival was 85.0 and 96.0 percent in the minimally invasive and open groups, respectively (difference, −11.1 percent). Compared with open surgery, minimally invasive surgery was associated with a lower rate of disease-free survival (hazard ratio, 3.91). At 4.5 years, the rates of overall survival were 90.6 and 96.2 percent for the minimally invasive and open surgery groups, respectively (hazard ratio for death from any cause, 2.71).

"On the basis of these findings, patients undergoing radical hysterectomy for early cervical cancer should undergo open surgery as recommended by guidelines, and minimally invasive radical hysterectomy should only be performed in clinical trials," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries.

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