Cervical cancer

Healing pattern of the cervical stroma following cold coagulation treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: A case report (2022)

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Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
*Papoutsis D; *Williams J; *Underwood M; *Parry-Smith W

Citation:
Oncology letters; 2022 Mar; Vol. 23 (3), pp. 81

Abstract:
Cold coagulation of the cervix for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), when compared with cervical excision, has previously demonstrated comparable cure rates and a reduction in the rate of spontaneous preterm birth. In the present report the healing pattern in the cervices of two women after cold coagulation is described. Both women underwent cold coagulation due to CIN3, which was found on pre-treatment cervical punch biopsies. They were followed up after cold coagulation and at 7 and 18 months, respectively, they underwent cervical excision. The histopathological slides from the excised specimen were reviewed, which represents the healed cervix after cold coagulation. A clear boundary of collagenisation was noted in the superficial stroma, which appeared to stop at the junction with the healthy muscular stroma. The collagenised superficial stroma depth, which represents the area that was thermally ablated and has now healed, measured 1.6 and 1.5 mm for the two women, respectively, which is less compared with that typically removed by cervical excision. Observations from these two cases indicate that cold coagulation does not appear to disrupt the deep tissue architecture of the cervix and could therefore explain the reduced levels of adverse obstetric morbidity in patients who underwent cold coagulation ablative treatment of the cervix, which has been previously reported.

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Expansile Endocervical Crypt Involvement by CIN2-3 as a Risk Factor for High Grade Cytology Recurrence after Cold Coagulation Cervical Treatment (2020)

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Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
*Papoutsis D.; *Underwood M.; *Parry-Smith W.; *Panikkar J.; *Williams J.

Citation:
Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde; Sep 2020; vol. 80 (no. 9); p. 891-895

Abstract:
Introduction: To determine whether expansile endocervical crypt involvement (ECI) on pretreatment cervical punch biopsies is a risk factor for high grade cytology recurrence in women following cold coagulation for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).Materials and Methods: This was a secondary analysis on the results of an observational study of women who had a single cold coagulation cervical treatment between 2001–2011 and who were followed up for cytology recurrence. Women with a previous cervical treatment were excluded.
Results: 559 women were identified with a mean age of 28.7 ± 6.2 years. Expansile and non-expansile ECI were identified in 5.4 and 4.3% of women, respectively. The proportion of women with high grade cytology recurrence was 10% for those with expansile ECI and 2.3% for those without. Multivariate analysis showed that women with expansile ECI when compared to those without, had a four-fold greater risk for high grade cytology recurrence (HR = 4.22; 95% CI: 1.10–16.29, p = 0.036). There was no significant association found between non-expansile ECI and overall or high grade cytology recurrence. The increased biopsy depth and the CIN3 grade of pretreatment cervical punch biopsies were significantly associated with greater odds for the detection of expansile ECI. We calculated that the optimal-cut off of pretreatment cervical punch biopsy depth for the detection of expansile ECI was 4 mm (sensitivity: 73.3%; specificity: 55.1%).
Conclusions: Expansile ECI is a risk factor that increases the likelihood of high grade cytology recurrence following cold coagulation. Deeper pretreatment cervical punch biopsies need to be taken so as not to miss expansile ECI prior to ablative treatment.

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A method to improve the accuracy between the presumed depth of excision and the actual depth of excision in women (2018)

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Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
*Papoutsis D.; *Kandanearachchi P.; *Sahu B.; Antonakou A.; Tzavara C.

Citation:
Hippokratia; 2018; vol. 22 (no. 3); p. 113-121

Abstract:
Background: We aimed to determine whether continuous auditing of the presumed depth of excision and
comparing with the actual depth of excision in women having large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) improves the ability to acquire the desired depth of excision.
Method(s): This was a prospective study of women submitted to a single LLETZ treatment between 2017-2018. Two senior colposcopists recorded what they presumed was the depth of excision at the time of treatment and the subsequent histopathology report provided the actual excised depth. Multiple linear regression identified independently associated parameters with the difference between presumed and actual excision depth. Nonlinear regression determined the learning plateau defined as the theoretical minimal score of difference one could achieve with infinite practice.
Result(s): There were significant differences in practices with the first colposcopist using an 18-mm loop and the second colposcopist a 15-mm loop in the majority of cases. The median absolute and percentage difference between the presumed and actual excised depth was 2 mm and 16.6% and 3.5 mm and 35.4% for the two colposcopists, respectively. A learning plateau was identified only for the first colposcopist. We found that auditing consecutive excisions decreased significantly the difference between the presumed and actual depth of excision with a learning plateau at 2.2 mm of absolute difference and 22.6% of percentage difference and with a learning rate of 13 cervical excisions.
Conclusion(s): There might be a benefit in auditing our treatment practice as there seems to be a learning
plateau through this method

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Psychosexual outcomes in women of reproductive age at more than two-years from excisional cervical treatment - a cross-sectional study (2019)

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Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
Sparić, Radmila; *Papoutsis, Dimitrios; Kadija, Saša; Stefanović, Radomir; *Antonakou, Angeliki; Nejković, Lazar; Kesić, Vesna

Citation:
Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Apr 2019; vol. 40 (no. 2); p. 128-137

Abstract:
PURPOSE To investigate the long-term psychosexual outcomes in women following excisional cervical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Women with cold-knife conization (CKC) or large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) treatment were interviewed after a follow-up colposcopy visit. Their demographics, treatment and psychosexual characteristics were recorded. RESULTS One hundred and forty six women with a mean age of 35.2 ± 5.4 years underwent either LLETZ (68.5%) or CKC (31.5%) treatment within 4.7 ± 2.7 years (range: 2-15) before the interview. 27.4% of women were less interested in sexual intercourse following treatment in comparison with their interest before. Those women with less interest in sexual intercourse after treatment had higher anxiety and depression scores and were more worried about disease progression. Women with post-treatment complications were at risk of less interest in sexual intercourse and of greater anxiety and depression. Women with abnormal smears at follow-up were at risk of greater anxiety. The type of treatment and grade of dysplasia did not affect their interest in sexual intercourse or the anxiety and depression scores. CONCLUSIONS Approximately, one-third of women at more than two years posttreatment may suffer from less interest in sexual intercourse, have relatively greater anxiety and depression, and might still be concerned about the possibility of disease progression.

Early and late pregnancy outcomes in women treated with cold-coagulation versus LLETZ cervical treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; a retrospective cohort study (2018)

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Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
*Papoutsis, Dimitrios; *Underwood, Martyn ; *Parry-Smith, William; *Panikkar, Jane

Citation:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics; Apr 2018; Vol.297(4):1015-1025

Abstract:
PURPOSE To compare the pregnancy outcomes between women who were treated with cold-coagulation versus large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of women who had a single cervical treatment between 2010 and 2011. We identified those women who had a singleton pregnancy subsequent to their cervical treatment until September 2017. Women with previous cervical treatment, previous miscarriage or preterm delivery were excluded. RESULTSWe identified 86 women with a pregnancy after LLETZ treatment and 75 women after cold coagulation. Those who had LLETZ when compared to cold coagulation miscarried more often in the first trimester (33.7 vs 17.3%; p = 0.01) than in the second trimester. In women with LLETZ this effect of increased early miscarriage was shown to be prolonged and to persist up to 17 months after excision. Women with LLETZ when compared to cold coagulation had higher spontaneous preterm birth rates (8.9 vs 6.7%) even though the difference was non significant, with the earliest spontaneous preterm birth occurring at 32 weeks and 34 weeks, respectively. CONCLUSION We found that women who received LLETZ treatment when compared to cold coagulation had higher spontaneous preterm birth rates in their subsequent pregnancy and miscarried more frequently in the first trimester, and demonstrated an increased early miscarriage risk that persisted for more than a year after excisional treatment.

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Comparison of cure rates in women treated with cold-coagulation versus LLETZ cervical treatment for CIN2-3 on pretreatment cervical punch biopsies: a retrospective cohort study (2017)

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Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
*Papoutsis D, *Underwood M , *Parry-Smith W, *Panikkar J.

Citation:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2017 Apr;295(4):979-986

Abstract:
PURPOSE:
To compare the cure rates between women who were treated with cold-coagulation versus large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) or 3 (CIN3) on pretreatment cervical punch biopsies.
METHODS:
This was a retrospective cohort study of women having had a single cervical treatment for CIN2 or CIN3 on pretreatment cervical punch biopsies between 2010 and 2011. The cure rates were defined as the absence of any dyskaryosis (mild/moderate/severe) on cytology tests during follow-up and were determined at 6 and 12 months after treatment.
RESULTS:
We identified 411 women having had cervical treatment with 178 cases of cold-coagulation and 233 cases of LLETZ. The cure rates at 6 months following cold-coagulation and LLETZ treatment were 91.6 versus 97.1% (p = 0.02), whereas at 12 months, they were 96.5 versus 97.3% (p = 0.76). Multivariable analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, there was a fourfold higher cure rate with LLETZ in comparison with cold-coagulation at 6 months after treatment (adjusted OR 4.50, 95% CI 1.20-16.83; p = 0.026), with this difference disappearing at 12 months. The lower cure rates with cold-coagulation were due to its higher rates of mild dyskaryosis cytology tests at 6 months. The rates of moderate/severe dyskaryosis cytology tests were similar between the two treatment methods at 6 and 12 months.
CONCLUSION:
We found that women with CIN2 or CIN3 on pretreatment cervical punch biopsies, after adjusting for multiple confounding factors, had higher cure rates when treated with LLETZ versus cold-coagulation at 6 months, with this difference disappearing at 12 months.

Endocervical Crypt Involvement by CIN2-3 as a Predictor of Cytology Recurrence After Excisional Cervical Treatment. (2015)

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Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
*Papoutsis, Dimitrios, *Panikkar, Jane, *Underwood, Martyn, Blundell, Sue, *Sahu, Banchita, *Blackmore, Jill, *Reed, Nicholas

Citation:
Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease, Oct 2015, vol. 19, no. 4, p. 311-318

Abstract:
The primary objective was to determine whether endocervical crypt involvement (ECI) by cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) on the excised cervical tissue after large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) represents a predictor of cytology recurrence. Secondary objective was to identify the ability of a pretreatment cervical punch biopsy to predict cytology recurrence. This was a case series study conducted in an NHS hospital. Women with LLETZ treatment performed over a 2-year period (2010-2011) were identified through our colposcopy database. Women with previous cervical treatment, cervical cancer on cone histopathology, or missing follow-up data were excluded. A group of 526 eligible women was identified over the study period. Crypt involvement was not a predictor of recurrence in the total sample. However, in the subgroup of women with CIN2-3 on pretreatment punch biopsy and with ECI on cone specimen in comparison to those without ECI, we identified an increased risk for overall cytology recurrence (HR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.04-9.28; P = 0.043) and a trend for increased risk of high-grade cytology recurrence (HR, 4.62; 95% CI, 0.84-25.28; P = 0.07). A pretreatment punch biopsy showing crypt involvement by CIN2-3 was indicative of women at risk for abnormal cytology after excision. In women with CIN2-3 on pretreatment punch biopsy and ECI on excised tissue, the high-grade cytology recurrence was significantly reduced if more than 1.9 cm of cervix was removed. It seems that the presence of crypt involvement on the excised cervix in the subgroup of women with CIN2-3 on pretreatment punch biopsy is predictive of cytology recurrence.