Pathology of the cervix: recent developments

Interventions for reducing anxiety in women undergoing colposcopy

BACKGROUND

Prior to the development of cervical cancer abnormal cervical cells can be detected on a cervical smear. The usual practice following an abnormal cervical smear is to perform colposcopy. Colposcopy is the visualisation of the cervix using a binocular microscope. Women experience high levels of anxiety and negative emotional responses at all stages of cervical screening. High levels of anxiety before and during colposcopy can have adverse consequences, including pain and discomfort during the procedure and high loss to follow-up rates. This review evaluates interventions designed to reduce anxiety levels during colposcopic examination.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the efficacy of various interventions aimed at reducing anxiety during colposcopic examination in women.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Issue 3, 2010, MEDLINE and EMBASE up to July 2010. We also searched registers of clinical trials, abstracts of scientific meetings, reference lists of included studies and contacted experts in the field.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions to reduce anxiety during colposcopic examination.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently abstracted data and assessed risk of bias. Mean differences for anxiety levels, knowledge scores, pain, patient satisfaction and psychosexual dysfunction in women who underwent colposcopy were pooled in a random effects meta-analyses.

MAIN RESULTS

We found six trials that met our inclusion criteria. These trials assessed the effectiveness of different interventions for reducing anxiety in women undergoing colposcopy for the first time.All comparisons were restricted to single trial analyses or meta analysis of just two trials. There was evidence from a reasonably large trial (n = 220) that was at low risk of bias to suggest that music during colposcopy significantly reduced anxiety levels (MD = -4.80, 95% CI: -7.86 to -1.74) and pain experienced during the procedure (MD = -1.71, 95% CI: -2.37 to -1.05) compared to not listening to music. There was no statistically significant difference between anxiety levels prior to colposcopy in women receiving information leaflets versus no leaflets and information leaflets, video and counselling versus information leaflets and video with no counselling. However, knowledge scores were significantly higher and psychosexual dysfunction scores were significantly lower in women who received leaflets compared to those who did not so there was some sort of benefit to giving patients information leaflets. There is evidence for video colposcopy from a quasi randomised trial which assessed 81 women showing significant anxiety reduction.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Anxiety appears to be reduced by playing music during colposcopy. Although information leaflets did not reduce anxiety levels, they did increase knowledge levels and are therefore useful in obtaining clinical consent to the colposcopic procedure. Leaflets also contributed to improved patient quality of life by reducing psychosexual dysfunction.

Prevalence of prognostic factors for cancer of the uterine cervix after radical hysterectomy

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE

Cancer of the uterine cervix is still very common in Brazil. It is important to evaluate factors that influence its prognosis. The aim here was to analyze the prevalence of prognostic anatomoclinical factors among patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix undergoing radical hysterectomy.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Cross-sectional study on 301 patients with invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix who underwent Level III Piver-Rutledge hysterectomy surgery at São Marcos Hospital.

METHODS

The following variables were analyzed: age, histological type, degree of differentiation, invasion of lymphatic, vascular and perineural space, lymph node metastasis, distance to nearest margin, tumor invasion depth, vaginal cuff size, largest diameter of the tumor, presence of necrosis and surgical margin involvement. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test were performed. A significance level of 5% was used.

RESULTS

The mean age was 48.27 years. The following were not important for the prognosis, in relation to survival analysis: degree of differentiation and tumor invasion depth; presence of lymphatic, blood and perineural invasions; distance to nearest margin; and vaginal cuff size. Tumor size (P < 0.036), presence of lymph node metastasis (P < 0.0004), necrosis (P < 0.05) and surgical margin involvement (P < 0.0015) presented impacts on survival. The overall survival with 98 months of follow-up was 88.35%.

CONCLUSION

The most prevalent prognostic factors were the presence of lymph node metastasis, tumor size and surgical margin involvement.

Lack of TNFα mRNA expression in cervical cancer is not associated with loss of heterozygosity at 6p21.3, inactivating mutations or promoter methylation

Infection with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered to be the major etiologic event for cervical cancer. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), a proinflammatory cytokine, may be involved in orchestrating an antitumor immune response against human papillomavirus expressing cervical cancer cells. Hence, loss of TNFalpha could be advantageous for tumor cells to escape immune clearance. The aim of our study was to investigate TNFalpha gene expression and epigenetic characteristics associated with the loss of TNFalpha expression in cervical cancer. To this end, we examined TNFalpha expression, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 6p21.3, the locus of TNFalpha, mutational status of the TNFalpha locus, loss of the TNFalpha promoter variant 2 allele and CpG hypermethylation of the TNFalpha promoter. RNA in situ hybridization showed absence of TNFalpha expression in 45% of 63 tumors. LOH occurred in 57% of the tumors and was not concordant with absence of TNFalpha mRNA. No mutations in the TNFalpha gene were identified in 15 cases deficient in TNFalpha expression exhibiting LOH. Furthermore, lack of TNFalpha expression did not correlate with promoter methylation. In conclusion, TNFalpha mRNA expression is absent in nearly half of the cervical tumors analyzed. Neither promoter methylation nor genetic causes for lack of expression were evident.

Interventions for reducing anxiety in women undergoing colposcopy

BACKGROUND

Before cervical cancer develops the cells of the cervix become abnormal. Following an abnormal cervical smear colposcopy is performed. Colposcopy is the visualisation of the cervix using a binocular microscope. Women experience high levels of anxiety and negative emotional responses at all stages of cervical screening. High levels of anxiety before and during colposcopy can have adverse consequences, including pain and discomfort during the procedure and high loss to follow-up rates. This review evaluates interventions designed to reduce anxiety levels during colposcopic examination.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the efficacy of various interventions aimed at reducing anxiety during colposcopic examination in women.

SEARCH STRATEGY

The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), (Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2006) MEDLINE (1951-2006), EMBASE (1980-2006), CINAHL (1982-2006), Psych Lit and CancerLit, NHMRC Clinical Trials Register, UKCCCR Register of Cancer Trials, Meta-Register and Physician Data Query Protocols.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised and quasi randomised controlled trials of interventions to reduce anxiety during colposcopic examination.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

One author searched the citations and reference lists. Studies that appeared to meet inclusion criteria were retrieved and assessed independently by the remaining three authors. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group's methodological quality criteria (van Tulder 2003).

MAIN RESULTS

Eleven trials were included, these trials used various interventions to reduce anxiety. These examined 1441 women's anxiety levels after different types of intervention. These included: Information leaflets - (proved not to be associated with anxiety reduction). Counselling: pre-colposcopic counselling was not associated with anxiety reduction. Information leaflets and information video and pre-colposcopy counselling was not associated with a reduction in anxiety levels. Listening to music during colposcopy: this intervention was associated with reduction in anxiety levels (p < 0.002). Video colposcopy was associated with reduction in anxiety levels, and the reduction in anxiety was significant (p < 0.0002). Information using graphs and verbal information and information video versus information only when sought: There was no significant reduction in the level of anxiety in the intervention group. Information leaflets and information video versus information leaflets only: There was a reduction in anxiety levels in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.00001).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Anxiety appears to be reduced by playing music during colposcopy, showing information videos prior to colposcopy and viewing video colposcopy during the procedure. Although information leaflets did not reduce anxiety levels, they did increase knowledge levels and so are useful in obtaining clinical consent to the colposcopic procedure.

Pattern of abnormal Pap smears in developing countries: a report from a large referral hospital in Saudi Arabia using the revised 2001 Bethesda System

BACKGROUND

Reports describing the frequency and pattern of abnormal Pap smears in developing countries using the revised Bethesda system for Pap smear are few. We studied the pattern of cervical intraepithelial lesions and carcinoma detected in Pap smears of Saudi females in the western region of Saudi Arabia using the revised system.

METHODS

All cervical Pap smears reported in the Department of Pathology of King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, from 1 January 1998 to 31 August 2005 were reclassified according to the revised system with age ranges identified.

RESULTS

Of 5590 sufficient smears, 261 (5%) were identified as abnormal and were further classified as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) (103 cases, 40%), atypical squamous cells of high grade (6 cases, 2%), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) (56 cases, 22%), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) (31 cases, 12%), glandular cell abnormalities (30 cases, 11%) and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (21 cases, 9%). The ASC-US/SIL ratio was 1.9%. Invasive adenocarcinoma accounted for 14 cases (4%) with a similar age range as invasive squamous cell carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

Although this study showed a lower incidence and a wider age range of cervical epithelial cell abnormalities than others published internationally, the results emphasize the need for a well-organized cervical screening program supplemented by larger national studies on the pattern of cervical abnormalities in this country. The information provided in this study will encourage use of the Pap smear as a screening method for cervical cancer in developing countries.