Search for conditions to avoid parametrectomy during radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer.

Aim: This study aimed to assess adequate conditions for omitting parametrectomy for stage IB1-IIA2 cervical cancer with the aim of reducing postoperative complications during Type III radical hysterectomy (RH).

Methods: We investigated factors associated with parametrial invasion (PMI) in patients who underwent Type III RH for stage IB1, IB2, IIA1, IIA2 and IIB cervical cancer at two tertiary institutions from November 2006 to February 2018. Both clinicopathological and preoperatively estimated factors were assessed.

Results: One hundred fifty-six patients were preoperatively diagnosed with stage IB1 to IIB disease. Thirty-four patients (21.8%) showed PMI on histological analyses. In the multivariate analysis, an age older than 50 years, tumor size larger than 40 mm, common iliac lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular space invasion were identified as significant risk factors for PMI (P-values = 0.008, 0.003, 0.004 and 0.004, respectively). The preoperatively estimated risk factors for PMI were an older age, larger tumor size, and common iliac lymph node metastasis (P-values = 0.007, 0.002 and 0.001, respectively). A combination of these three factors was sufficient to estimate PMI with a high specificity (100%) and positive predictive value (100%) in patients with stage IB1 to IIA2 disease.

Conclusion: During RH, resecting the posterior layer of the vesicouterine ligament and the paracolpium without removing the cardinal ligament (avoiding parametrectomy) might be feasible for stage IB1-IIA2 cervical cancer in patients younger than 50 years presenting with smaller tumors (<40 mm) and no common iliac lymph node metastasis.