Published papers

INTRODUCTION: Although the colposcopic features of cervical glandular disease and cervical adenocarcinoma are not widely well known, unique microvascular patterns are reportedly useful for identifying such diseases. The narrow band imaging (NBI) system used in endoscopy can be used to obtain high-contrast vascular images. Therefore, we examined the utility of NBI colposcopy and compared the results with those of conventional colposcopy. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with adenocarcinoma in situ or early invasive adenocarcinomas were examined using digital NBI colposcopy, and the photo records were compared with those of conventional colposcopy. The histological examination and immunohistochemistry with anti-CD31 antibody confirmed the microvascular pattern. RESULTS: Digital NBI colposcopy depicted the fine vascular texture on the surface of the cervix more clearly than conventional colposcopy. The vascular pattern was depicted in 86% (18/21) of glandular disease cases. The characteristic fine vascular patterns were critical for identifying cervical glandular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Digital NBI colposcopy was useful for identifying early cervical adenocarcinoma as well as adenocarcinoma in situ. This system yields cervical glandular disease-related colposcopic findings that may be useful for both clinical and educational purposes.

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study was conducted as a review of a series of women who had undergone abdominal radical trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for early-stage cervical cancer. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients who had undergone an abdominal radical trachelectomy. Data regarding tumor size and histology, surgical complications, recurrences, pregnancies and live births were collected and were presented as a percentage of the total number of cases. RESULTS: A total of 61 women were followed up for a median of 27 months (range: one month--79 months). There were six recurrences (9.8%); none of the recurrences occurred in patients with a tumor diameter of <20 mm except in one case with adenocarcinoma. Twenty-nine women attempted to conceive; four of these women were successful. All four of these women had live births: two had preterm deliveries, and the remaining two had full-term deliveries. The cumulative pregnancy rate among the women who attempted to conceive was 13.8% (4/29). CONCLUSION: Among selected women with early-stage cervical cancer, especially those with a tumor diameter of <20 mm, abdominal radical trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy is a fertility-sparing treatment option, even though the cumulative conception rate was not particularly high compared with that for women who had undergone a vaginal radical trachelectomy.

Integration of human papillomavirus DNAs into the host genome is crucial to the development of cervical cancer. Overexpression of the P16 protein has been reported in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) as well as cervical cancer. Such molecular biomarkers have been utilized for ancillary testing of liquid-based cytology specimens; however, their clinical application remains controversial. To detect CIN 2 or more advanced lesions, 153 liquid-based cytology (LBC) specimens were investigated to determine the physical status of the human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA by in situ hybridization (ISH) and to detect overexpression of the P16 protein by immunocytochemistry combined with HPV genotyping by polymerase chain reaction. The combination of ISH, P16 immunocytochemistry, and LBC showed high sensitivity (89.3%) as well as high specificity (92.6%). We confirmed the usefulness of P16 immunocytochemistry combined with ISH and HPV genotyping as ancillary molecular-biological tests of LBC specimens for identifying patients at high risk of cervical cancer.