Controversies in minimally invasive surgery for invasive cervical cancer

Background . Determination of the feasibility of performing minimally invasive surgery for invasive cervical cancer and identification of criteria for optimal surgical access that ensures safety, effectiveness, and satisfactory immediate and long-term results remain challenging in gynecological oncology. The aim of the study was to evaluate the immediate and long-term treatment outcomes in patients with invasive cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy via laparotomy compared to those who underwent minimally invasive surgery. Material and methods . Treatment outcomes of 91 patients with invasive carvical cancer were analyzed. The assessment of the objective tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy using the RECIST scale (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) was confirmed by clinical, ultrasound and CT/ MRI findings. The Kaplan-Maier curves and the log-rank criterion were used to compare the time of relapse-free and overall survivals. Statistical analysis and visualization of the analysis results were performed using prism 9.5.1 (GraphPad, USA). Results . The presence of parametrial lymphovascular space invasion and the frequency of lymphadenopathy were comparable for both groups of patients. there were no statistically significant differences in the number of the resected lymph nodes, but there was a statistically significant difference in volume of blood loss and the duration of surgery between the groups (p=0.0001). Every third patient was diagnosed with stage IIIC after surgery (pelvic lymph node lesion). Intraoperative complications were significantly lower in the laparoscopy group than in the laparotomy group (6.7 % vs 13 %). No significant differences in the proportion of relapses of the disease between the groups were found (9.6 % in the laparotomy group vs 11.7 % in the laparoscopy group). There were no significant differences in overall and relapse-free survival between the groups. Conclusion . Minimally invasive surgery is a promising and adequate surgical technique for the treatment of cervical cancer. However, additional studies are needed to determine the indications for these surgeries.