Dr. Ferguson on a Population-Based Study of Women Undergoing Radical Hysterectomy

Sarah Ferguson, MD, FRCSC, associate professor of gynecologic oncology, University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, discusses a population-based study of women with cervical cancer undergoing radical hysterectomy.

This was a population-based study of women in Ontario who underwent radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. The study spanned a 10-year period and compared surgical approaches and their impact on survival outcomes. Over this period, minimally invasive surgery became more widely adopted, says Ferguson—a trend which was reflected in the study. For the study, investigators tried to control for confounding factors that have been criticized for biasing outcomes in prior randomized trials. These factors included surgeon experience as well as patient factors, says Ferguson.

Results from the analysis showed that patients with stage Ib tumors had similar outcomes to patients who underwent the laparoscopic approach in another cervical cancer study with an increase in all-cause mortality. In patients who received a minimally invasive surgery, 90% were done laparoscopically compared with open surgery.