Colposcopic assessment of stage I cervical cancer

Abstract

A differential assessment by colposcopy of three subgroups of stage I in the new FIGO classification of cervical cancer was attempted. Colposcopic findings in invasive cancer were atypical white epithelium, atypical mosaic, papillary punctation, atypical vessels, abnormal ‘rock-like’ projection, papillomatous growth and ulcer. Ulcer and abnormal ‘rock-like’ projection were more suggestive of a frank invasive carcinoma than a microinvasive carcinoma. While 89% of the cases in stage Ib were correctly predicted, only about 50% of those in stage Ia were correctly predicted. We propose that a colposcopic assessment be included in the armamentarium to decide the method of treatment for cervical cancer patients.