• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7757-7761
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• 2014

Aim: To report long term outcomes of laser conization for high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in Thai women. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients undergoing laser conization due to abnormal cervical cytology suggesting neoplasia during 1989 to 1994 and having follow-up data until December 2010. Conization was performed under colposcopy using a 0.5-mm $CO_2$ laser beam with power density of $18,000-20,000watts/cm^2$, and the surgical base was vaporized using a low power defocused beam. The follow-up protocol included cervical cytology and colposcopy. Long term outcome measures were failure rate (persistence and recurrence), post-conization status of transformation zone, and obstetric outcomes. Results: Of 104 patients undergoing conization, 71 had therapeutic conization for high grade CIN and were followed up for a median time of 115 (range 12-260) months. There was one case of persistent and one of recurrent disease comprising a failure rate of 2.8%. The post treatment transformation zone was well visualized in 68.3% of 63 patients with an intact uterus. Sixteen patients achieved 25 pregnancies; none had second trimester miscarriage. The obstetric outcomes were unremarkable. Conclusions: Laser conization under colposcopic visualization for the treatment of high grade CIN in Thai women has a low failure rate of 2.8%. The post-conization transformation zone could not be evaluated completely in approximately 30% of cases; therefore the follow-up protocol should include both cytology and colposcopy. Obstetric outcomes are not adversely affected by this therapeutic procedure.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6693-6696
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• 2013

Background: Cold knife conization is a surgical procedure that allows both diagnosis and treatment of cervical lesions at the same time. It is mainly performed for indications of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical outcome of cases without CIN in cold knife conization specimen, following a high-grade lesion (CIN2/3) in cervical biopsy. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary referral hospital between January $1^{st}$ 2008 and August $1^{st}$ 2012. Cases that underwent cold knife conization for CIN2/3 within the study period were included. Cone-negative (Group 1) and cone-positive (Group 2) cases were analyzed for various clinical parameters, and were compared in the 1-year post-conization period for histological recurrence and human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA status. Results: A total of 173 women underwent cold knife conization for CIN2/3 within the study period. Twenty-two cases (12.7%) were included in Group 1 and 151 cases (87.3%) in Group 2. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, gravidity, parity, menopausal status and HPV-DNA status (pre-conization and 1 year post-conization) (p>0.05). Recurrence rates were also similar between the groups (9.1% vs 9.9%, p>0.05). Conclusions: Clinical outcomes were similar in terms of histological recurrence and HPV persistence after 1 year of follow-up between cone-negative and cone-positive cases. Clinical follow-up of cone-negative cases should therefore be performed similar to cone-positive cases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7383-7387
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• 2014

Background: To determine rates of residual disease along with influencing factors in women with stage IA to IB1 cervical carcinoma after conization. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of medical records of 198 stage IA to IB1 cervical carcinoma patients who had undergoing cervical conization followed by primary surgical treatment during 2006-2013. Independent factors correlating with residual carcinoma in subsequent surgical specimens were analyzed by stepwise regression analysis. Results: Mean age was 48.9 years. Cone specimens demonstrated free margins in 36 women (18.8%). In case of having disease at margin, high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and carcinoma were evidenced in 58 and 97 women, respectively. Pathology of subsequent specimens revealed residual carcinoma in 78 women (39.4%), high-grade CIN or adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) in 45 (22.7%), and no residual pathology in 75 (37.9%). Age more than 35 years, postmenopausal status, having symptoms, diseases or invasive lesions at conization margins or disease on endocervical aspect, and higher stage were significantly correlated with residual cancer in surgical treatment specimens. On regression analysis, postmenopause and stage were independent factors associated with residual carcinoma.Conclusions: Patient and tumor characteristics are predictive factors for residual cancer in the studied group of women.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8145-8147
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• 2016

Background: Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) feature a wide variety of cervical cells, including benign and malignant examples. The management of ASCUS is complicated. Guidelines for office gynecology in Japan recommend performing a high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) test as a rule. The guidelines also recommend repeat cervical cytology after 6 and 12 months, or immediate colposcopy. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of ASCUS. Materials and Methods: Between January 2012 and December 2014, a total of 162 patients underwent cervical conization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3), carcinoma in situ, squamous cell carcinoma, microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma in situ at our hospital. The results of cervical cytology prior to conization, the pathology after conization, and high-risk HPV testing were obtained from clinical records and analyzed retrospectively. Results: Based on cervical cytology, 31 (19.1%) of 162 patients were primarily diagnosed with ASCUS. Among these, 25 (80.6%) were positive for high-risk HPV, and the test results of the remaining 6 patients (19.4%) were uncertain. In the final pathological diagnosis after conization, 27 (87.1%) and 4 patients (12.9%) were diagnosed with CIN3 and carcinoma in situ, respectively. Conclusions: Although ASCUS is known as a low-risk abnormal cervical cytology, approximately 20% of patients who underwent cervical conization had ASCUS. The relationship between the cervical cytology of ASCUS and the final pathological results for CIN3 or invasive carcinoma should be investigated statistically. In cases of ASCUS, we recommend HPV tests or colposcopic examination rather than cytological follow-up, because of the risk of missing CIN3 or more advanced disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3317-3320
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• 2016

Purpose: To assess the success rates of two step loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) compared with conventional cold conization procedures for decreasing positive surgical margins. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 70 patients who underwent colposcopic evaluation in Zeynep Kamil Women and Children's Health Training and Research Hospital between 2013-2015 with indications of CIN 2/3 or persistent CIN 1 for more than 2 years. The study included age matched groups of patients with similar histopathololical lesions who underwent cold conization (n=40) or LEEP (N=30). Results: Comparison of tissue characteristics between the two groups revealed significantly higher deepest depth and lower volume of tissue removed by the two step LEEP. Ectocervical positivity rate was similar between groups (1/39 versus 0/29, P>0.05), while endocervical surgical margin positivity rate was significantly higher in the cold conization group (9/39 versus 0/29, P<0.05). Surgical margin positive cases were significantly older than the cases with negative margins (P<0.05). Conclusions: Two step LEEP made it easier to reach the squamocolumnar junction in the endocervical region with lower blood loss and applicability in office settings. Our study suggests to use two step approach in cases with high grade and glandular CIN.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2008

This study was performed to compare the efficacy between a DNA chip method and a Hybrid-Capture II assay (HC-II) for detecting human papillomavirus in patients with intraepithelial lesions of the uterine cervix. From May, 2005, to June, 2006, 192 patients with abnormal colposcopic findings received cervical cytology, HC-II and HPV DNA chip tests, and colposcopic biopsy or conization. We compared the results of HC-II and HPV DNA chip in conjunction with liquid based cervical cytology (LBCC) and confirmed the results of biopsy or conization. The sensitivity of the HPV DNA chip test was higher than HC-II or LBCC. The HPV DNA chip in conjunction with LBCC showed higher sensitivity than any single method and higher sensitivity than HC-II with LBCC. We confirmed that the HPV DNA chip test was more sensitive for detecting HPV in cervical lesions than HC-II, and that it would provide more useful clinical information about HPV type and its multiple infections.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8209-8213
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• 2014

Background: Cervical cancer is a common, preventable and manageable disease in women worldwide. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the cost of follow-up for suspicious precancerous cervical lesions within a screening program using Pap smear or HPV DNA test through the decision tree. Materials and Methods: Patient follow-up processes were determined using standard guidelines and consultation with specialists to design a decision tree model. Costs of treatment in both public and private sectors were identified according to the national tariffs in 2010 and determined based on decision tree and provided services (visits to specialists, colposcopy, and conization) with two modalities: Pap smear and HPV DNA test. The number of patients and the mean cost of treatment in each sector were calculated. The prevalence of lesions and HPV were obtained from literature to estimate the cost of treatment for each woman in the population. Results: Follow-up costs were determined using seven processes for Pap smear and 11 processes for HPV DNA test. The total cost of using Pap smear and HPV DNA process for each woman in the population was 36.1$ and 174$ respectively. Conclusions: The follow-up process for patients with suspicious cervical lesions needs to be included in the existing screening program. HPV DNA test is currently more expensive than Pap smear, it is suggested that we manage precancerous cervical lesions with this latter test.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.423-426
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• 2014

Aim: To evaluate the agreement between colposcopic diagnosis and cervical pathology a retrospective chart review was performed. Materials and Methods: This study included 437 patients who underwent colposcopy and cervical biopsy or conization at Siriraj Hospital from October 2010 - December 2012. The patient clinical characteristics, cervical cytology results, colposcopic diagnoses, cervical pathology results were recorded and correlations between variables were analyzed. Results: Agreement of colposcopic diagnosis and cervical pathology was matched in 253 patients (57.9%). The strength of agreement with weighted Kappa statistic was 0.494 (p<0.001). Colposcopic diagnoses more often overestimated (31.1%) than underestimated (11%) the cervical pathology. Agreement of colposcopic diagnosis and cervical pathology within 1 grade was found in 411 patients (94.1%). Positive predictive value (PPV) of high grade colposcopy or more was 75.5%, whereas the negative predictive value (NPV) of insignificant and low grade colposcopy was 83.8%. False positives of high grade colposcopy or more were 21%. False negatives of insignificant or low grade colposcopy were 19.1%. Conclusions: Strength of agreement between colposcopic diagnosis and cervical pathology was found to be only moderate. A biopsy at colposcopy should be performed at a gold standard level to detect high grade lesions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.5001-5004
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• 2015

The Reid colposcopic index (RCI) helps physicians for interpret the results of colposcopic examination. To compare the accuracy of RCI in colposcopic evaluation between general and oncologic gynecologists, this prospective trial was conducted by invited women over 20 years of age who were scheduled for a colposcopy at Chiang Mai University Hospital between August, 2008 and May, 2014 to participate. Pregnant patients or those having a history of hysterectomy or conization were excluded. During the colposcopy, all patients were simultaneously evaluated by general and oncologic gynecologists utilizing the RCI. Further management with either a biopsy or LEEP in each patient was dependent on the decision of the attending oncologic gynecologist. The accuracy of the RCI in diagnosing HSIL or more was calculated by the comparison with the final histology. Finally, 135 patients were recruited into this study. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of RCI in diagnosing HSIL or more in general gynecologists were 45.2%, 80.7%, 41.1%, 83.2% and 72.6% while in the oncologic gynecologists were 51.6%, 85.6%, 51.6%, 85.6% and 77.8%, respectively. The difference in accuracy between evaluator groups was not significant (p-value=0.28). Of 3 patients with invasive cervical cancer, all were undetected by the general gynecologists using RCI while only 1 invasive cervical cancer was missed via RCI by the oncologic gynecologists. We conclude that RCI could be used by general gynecologists in provincial hospitals with major concerns about missing invasive cervical cancer. A short training period regarding colposcopy might help to resolve this problem.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6639-6641
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• 2014

Background: To evaluate the clinical significance of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) in PAP test in post-menopausal women and compare with reproductive age women. Materials and Methods: A total of 367 patients who referred to our gynecologic oncology clinic were included to the study between September 2012 and August 2013. Data for 164 post-menopausal (group 1) and 203 pre-menopausal (group 2) women with ASCUS cytology were evaluated retrospectively. Immediate colposcopy and endocervical curettage was performed for both groups and conization for all women with a result suggestive of CIN2-3. Histopathological results and demographic features of patients were compared between the two groups. Results: Mean age of the patients was $54.6{\pm}6.5$ years in group 1 and $38{\pm}6.6$ years in group 2. Some 14 (8.5%) of post-menopausal women and 36 (17.7%) of pre-menopausal women were current smokers (p=011). Totals of 38 (23.2%) post-menopausal and 64 (31.5%) pre-menopausal women were assessed for HPV-DNA. High risk HPV was detected in 7 (4.3%) and 21 (10.3%), respectively (p=0.029). Final histopathological results recorded were normal cervix, low grade cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN 1), and high grade cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN2-3). In group 1 results were 84.8%, 12.2% and 1.8%, respectively, and in group 2 were 71.9%, 23.2% and 4.9%. There were no cases of micro invasive or invasive cervical carcinoma in either group. Two cases were detected as endometrial carcinoma in the menopausal group (1.2%). Conclusions: In current study we found that preinvasive lesions were statistically significantly higher in pre-menopausal women than post-menopausal women with ASCUS. Cervicitis was more common in menopausal women. Therefore, we think that in case of ASCUS in a post-menopausal woman there is no need for radical management.