New cervical cancer tx may preserve fertility. (Abdominal Radical Trachelectomy).

NEW ORLEANS -- A new approach to the treatment of cervical cancer could save the fertility of many women, according to one of the pioneers of the technique.

"Unfortunately, the majority of cervical cancer patients are still treated with hysterectomy, even though they may be very young," Dr. Guiseppe Del Priore told this newspaper.

At the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, he reported on the first cohort of 29 patients treated with abdominal radical trachelectomy (ART): Two of the 29 women were delivered of healthy babies by cesarean section. "This paper proves that with ART, fertility is retained," he said.

Like vaginal radical trachelectomy, ART involves removing the cervix while retaining the fundus, but unlike vaginal trachelectomy, ART is easy to do because of the abdominal access, said Dr. Del Priore of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York.

"The vaginal approach is limited by the pelvic outlet, whereas the abdominal approach has a lot more access and allows a more thorough examination of the lymph nodes," he said. "If you can do it vaginally, there's probably less postoperative pain and a faster recovery But for the physician who is unfamiliar with the vaginal approach, or for a rumor that is too large, or a patient whose anatomy doesn't allow the vaginal approach, the abdominal approach is another option. In the past, the only other option was a hysterectomy."

In addition, any woman who is a candidate for trachelectomy can have it done abdominally, but not all patients ...