To compare clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors between squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) of the uterine cervix.

We reviewed medical records and pathologic reports of 568 patients with SCC and 78 patients with AC who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy from January 1988 to December 2004. We analyzed clinicopathologic factors and 5-years survival rate (5-YSR), and than compared 5-YSR between SCC and AC according to clinicopathologic factors.

At the stage I, the incidence of AC (82.0%) was more than SCC (69.6%) and at the stage II, the incidence of SCC (30.4%) was higher than AC (18.0%). The rate of lymph-vascular space invasion was higher in SCC (28.2%) than AC (15.4%). The 5-YSR was not different between SCC (85.7%) and AC (86.9%). In multivariate analysis, depth of invasion, resection margin, pelvic lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors in SCC and FIGO stage, pelvic lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors in AC significantly. At the 5-YSR between SCC and AC, the prognosis of AC (50.0%) was poorer than SCC (78.0%) in the case of the one pelvic lymph node metastasis (p=0.0632).

The FIGO stage and lymph-vascular space invasion were significant different in clinicopathologic characteristics between SCC and AC. The prognosis of AC was poorer than SCC in the case of the one pelvic lymph node metastasis (p=0.0632). But, the overall 5-YSR was not different between SCC and AC.