A clinicopathological study on adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix

A total of 102 cases of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix were reviewed to define the clinical and pathological behavior. In the 18 years between 1970 and 1987 the incidence of cervical adenocarcinoma increased. The rate of lymph node involvement in stage Ib was 16.1% (5/31) and in stage II 26.2% (11/42). There was no difference between the rate of lymph node involvement in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The 5-year survival rates were as follows: stage I 83.3% (25/30), stage II 58.1% (18/31), stage III (0/4), stage IV (2/5), and all stages 64.3% (45/70). The 5-year survival rate for patients with adenocarcinoma was poor in contrast to that for patients with squamous cell carcinoma (p less than 0.05). It was suggested that adenocarcinoma was less radiosensitive than squamous cell carcinoma.