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Adenocarcinoma of the cervix

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Opinion statement

Cervical adenocarcinomas are increasing in incidence each year, comprising up to 25% of all cervical cancers diagnosed in the United States. This increase largely reflects the inherent difficulty in detecting glandular precursor lesions using current screening practices. However, there also appears to be a recent shift in the epidemiology of the disease process with younger women being diagnosed more frequently. Fertility-sparing surgery is an option for selected patients with adenocarcinoma in situ or stage IA1 cervical adenocarcinoma. Simple hysterectomy should be performed at the completion of childbearing or when preserving fertility is not an issue. The treatment of choice for most women with stage IA2 to IB1 disease is radical hysterectomy. Fewer than 20% of patients will need adjuvant therapy and the cure rate is excellent. Primary radiation with weekly cisplatin may be the best option for patients with stage IB2 to IIA cervical adenocarcinoma. Patients treated initially by primary radical surgery will almost certainly require postoperative chemoradiation because of high-risk surgical-pathologic features. Patients with stage IIB to IVA disease should also receive primary radiation with weekly cisplatin. Management of recurrence should be individualized, depending on the location of disease and the type of previous therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 23 Harry Hines Boulevard, J7.124, 75390, Dallas, TX, USA

    John O. Schorge MD

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  1. John O. Schorge MD
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  2. Lynne M. Knowles MD
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  3. Jayanthi S. Lea MD
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Schorge, J.O., Knowles, L.M. & Lea, J.S. Adenocarcinoma of the cervix. Curr. Treat. Options in Oncol. 5, 119–127 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11864-004-0044-0

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