[Epidemiology and clinical aspects of adenomatous and squamous epithelial cancers of the uterine cervix].

Compared studies on the epidemiology and clinic of adeno- and squamous-cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix are being carried out by means of a retrospective investigation. 1,481 cervix cancer patients were treated from 1972-1983. Among them were 64 adenocarcinoma patients who were compared with a group of squamous-cell cancer patients equal in number. It could be found out that the number of adenomatous cervical cancer has not become more frequent during the last 20 years - with 4.3% taking only a comparatively small portion within cancer of cervix uteri. There are not any appreciable differences between both cancer groups regarding such epidemiological features like average age, menarche, kohabitarche, number of pregnancies and deliveries as well as high risk behaviour and contraceptive habits. Chronic or frequent occurring cervicitis seems to be a common risk factor. For that reason it is of great importance to pay special attention to diagnosis and therapy of inflammations in the uterine cervix. Although 36% of the women treated took oral contraceptives a causal connection between the taking in of these preparations and the development of neoplasia could not be confirmed. Progress of the disease and healing tendencies have shown that adequate therapy - being in accordance to the respective stages - is effective in the mentioned histological variants of cervical cancer. Adeno- and squamous-cell carcinoma do not differ essentially concerning epidemiological and clinical features. It is assumed that pathological epithelial qualities show similar carcinogeneses.