Prognostic outcomes and risk factors for recurrence after laser vaporization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: a single-center retrospective study

Impact of colposcopy-guided carbon dioxide laser vaporization therapy on peripheral cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions

OBJECTIVE

Laser vaporization is less invasive than conization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The outcome of laser vaporization for CIN is empirically known to depend on the colposcopic findings, especially localization of the lesion. In this study, we sought to identify factors involved in the outcome of laser vaporization.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively investigated 290 cases of CIN (CIN2, n = 180; CIN3, n = 110) treated with laser evaporation at Nishikawa Women's Health Clinic between 2018 and 2021. All treatments were performed using a carbon dioxide laser under either colposcopic vision (n = 172) or direct vision using a vaginal speculum (n = 118). Risk factors were statistically examined for cure rate after treatment.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model identified independent factors affecting the success of treatment to be high-risk human papillomavirus infection status preoperatively, CIN grade, presence of CIN lesions at the periphery of the cervix, and the surgical method used. Colposcopy-guided laser vaporization reduced the risk of treatment failure by 84% (odds ratio 0.16, 95% confidence interval 0.06-0.46; p = 0.001) compared with direct vision using a vaginal speculum. For lesions at the periphery of the cervix, most of the treatment failures were in the group that was not guided by colposcopy (p = 0.031).

CONCLUSION

The presence of a peripheral CIN lesion was suggested to be a risk factor for treatment failure. Laser vaporization under colposcopic vision is recommended for treatment of peripheral CIN lesions.

Prognostic outcome of cervical laser ablation using a holmium yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser for the treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: A single-center retrospective study

Objective

Although cervical conization is considered a standard treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3, laser ablation can compensate for the disadvantages of the former. CO2, semiconductor, and holmium yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) lasers are applied in ablation, but no previous studies have shown the effectiveness of any of these techniques. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the application of the Ho:YAG laser in our hospital to verify its efficacy, and discussed the methods for optimal recurrence detection.

Methods

We evaluated the recurrence rates of the pathological condition in patients who underwent laser ablation with a Ho:YAG laser for CIN2/3 at our institution from June 2012 to November 2021. We defined the recurrence as histologically confirmed CIN2 or more advanced stage. Age, preoperative diagnosis, human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype, and postoperative high-risk HPV status were recorded to establish their association with recurrence rates.

Results

We performed surgery in 607 patients and the 2-year recurrence rate after interventions was 5.6%. Five patients were diagnosed with invasive cancer at the time of recurrence. Older age significantly correlated with higher risk of recurrence, but preoperative CIN grade and preoperative HPV 16/18 status did not significantly affect it. The postoperative high-risk HPV test was 100% sensitive for detecting recurrence.

Conclusions

Laser ablation with the Ho:YAG laser yields promising results. Together with postinterventional management, high-risk HPV test after laser ablation should be conducted after diagnostic conization.This study received the approval from the Ethics Committee of the NHO Tokyo Medical Center (Ethics Committee approval number: R22-067).

A prospective clinical trial of diathermy ablation for patients with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia from a single institution in Japan

Approximately 500,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually, with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) estimated to be 20 times higher. The diathermy ablation is an inexpensive minimally invasive surgeries for CIN. However, little is known about the treatment outcomes. A prospective clinical trial was therefore conducted to evaluate ablation outcomes based on detailed colposcopy findings, cytology, and biopsy results over a two-year period. We enrolled CIN2 (n = 32) and CIN3 (n = 7) patients. Eligibility criteria included: aged between 29 and 49 (median: 36, mean: 36.3), visible transformation zone with high-grade lesions not entirely occupying the cervix, and histologically diagnosed with CIN2 or CIN3. Cytology and HPV genotyping were performed, and colposcopic findings were evaluated. Colposcopy-guided diathermy ablation was conducted by a certified gynecologic oncologist. The incidence of recurrent or residual disease was 5.1% (2/39, 95% confidence interval: - 0.02 to 0.12). The prevalence of HPV infection at 12 months decreased after surgery, as 67.6% (23/34, 0.52-0.83) of patients were HPV-negative. No severe adverse events were reported, while there were five pregnancies with full-term deliveries. The promising outcome was possibly due to selection of rigorous surgical indication and skilled surgical techniques. The study highlights the importance of experienced and skilled colposcopists.TrialRegistry This study was registered in the clinical trial registration system of the University hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR ID: UMIN000024483). Open for the trial to the public through the website: 01/11/2016. First registration of the patient: 30/01/2017.

The Effect of Surgeon Volume on the Outcome of Laser Vaporization: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Although laser vaporization is a popular minimally invasive treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), factors influencing CIN recurrence are understudied. Moreover, the effect of surgeon volume on patients’ prognosis after laser vaporization for CIN is unknown. This single-center retrospective study evaluated the predictive value of surgeon volume and patient characteristics for laser vaporization outcomes in women with pathologically confirmed CIN2. Histologically confirmed CIN2 or higher grade after laser vaporization was defined as persistent or recurrent. Various patient characteristics were compared between women with and those without recurrence to examine the predictive factors for laser vaporization. There were 270 patients with a median age of 36 (18–60) years. The median follow-up period was 25 (6–75.5) months and the median period between treatment and persistence or recurrence was 17 (1.5–69) months. The median annual number of procedures for all seven surgeons was 7.8. There were 38 patients (14.1%) with persistent or recurrent lesions—24 had CIN2, 13 had CIN3, and one had adenocarcinoma in situ. Patient age, body mass index, surgeon volume, and history of prior CIN treatment or invasive cervical cancer were not significantly correlated with lesion persistence or recurrence. In conclusion, laser vaporization has comparable success rates and is a feasible treatment for both low- and high-volume surgeons.