Can recurrence of cervical cancer be predicted by human papillomavirus DNA in nodes or plasma?

Objective: To determine if human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in pelvic lymph nodes or plasma of women with early-stage cervical cancer is a marker for recurrence.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-eight women undergoing radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer stage IB had HPV DNA testing in cervical tissue, plasma, and the largest lymph nodes. Human papillomavirus genotyping was done by restriction fragment length polymorphism/line blot assay.