Evaluation of adjuvant chemotherapy after abdominal trachelectomy for cervical cancer: a single-institution experience

Background: To avoid the loss of fertility, chemotherapy should be chosen as an adjuvant treatment after trachelectomy. Our study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of adjuvant chemotherapy after abdominal trachelectomy for cervical cancer. Methods: Our institutional review board approved this clinical study, and informed consent was obtained from each patient. We began performing abdominal trachelectomy at our institution in 2005. Deep stromal invasion (more than two-thirds) with lymphovascular space invasion, diffuse cervical invasion, skip lesions in the vagina, and lymphovascular space invasion in the cardinal ligament and vagina were defined as intermediate-risk factors, and parametrial invasion and pelvic lymph node metastasis were defined as high-risk factors. Patients who had intermediate- or high-risk factors received post-trachelectomy adjuvant treatment. The medical records and information of the patients were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Through January 2020, we performed 212 trachelectomies. Among the included patients, 16 and 7 patients with intermediate- and high-risk cancer, respectively, received adjuvant chemotherapy after trachelectomy (2 and 21 patients underwent abdominal modified radical trachelectomy and radical trachelectomy, respectively). Among these patients, only one (4.3%) experienced relapse and subsequent death of the disease after a median postoperative follow-up of 80 months (range 12–146 months). The 5-year survival rate was 95.5%. Chemotherapy-related life-threatening acute adverse events were not observed. Persistent ovarian dysfunction and late adverse events did not occur. One woman achieved three pregnancies, and two infants were delivered. Conclusion: Adjuvant chemotherapy after abdominal trachelectomy could be an alternative treatment option from the aspects of effectiveness, safety, and fertility preservation.