Patients' view of routine follow-up after gynecological cancer treatment.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the level of emotional distress and anxiety before one of the routine follow-up visits.

Study Design: 210 patients with gynecological malignancies completed the Psychological Assessment Screening Scale and a survey questionnaire about their views of follow-up.

Results: On the Psychological Assessment Screening Scale the majority of patients showed low levels of distress.

Analysis of the prognostic impact of tumor embolization before definitive radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma.

Purpose: To assess whether embolization compromises the radiocurability of primary cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: Two hundred fifty-four patients with primary cervical cancer (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] stages IB: 47; II: 91; IIIB: 102; IV: 14) were treated with external beam irradiation and Ir-192 high-dose-rate brachytherapy over a period of 15 years. Of these, 24 patients (9.

Evaluation of the effect of routine packed red blood cell transfusion in anemic cervix cancer patients treated with radical radiotherapy.

Purpose: It is well established that anemia predicts diminished radiocurability in cervix cancer. However, the therapeutic benefit of measures to correct the anemia remains controversial. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of routine transfusion in patients with hemoglobin level (hb-l) < or =11 g/dl.

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III: long-term follow-up after cold-knife conization with involved margins.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcome of patients with severe cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) III or squamous carcinoma in situ after cold-knife conization with involved margins.

Methods: A total of 390 patients (median age 39 years, range 20-69) with positive margins after cold-knife conization for CIN III were followed expectantly for a mean of 19 (range 6-30) years. Follow-up consisted of colposcopy, cytology, histology, and pelvic examination.

Parametrial spread of cervical cancer in patients with negative pelvic lymph nodes.

Objective: We studied the incidence and prognostic implications of parametrial involvement according to tumor volume in a series of cervical cancer patients with negative pelvic lymph nodes.

Methods: We reviewed a series of 351 node-negative patients with stage IB, IIA, or IIB cervical cancer treated with class III radical hysterectomy. The surgical specimens were processed as step-serial giant sections and tumor volume was calculated.