Hello Doctor, My mother was operated on 18th July for cervical cancer (Wertheim's Hysterectomy). The operation was successful and she is fine and recovering. After the surgical biopsy, they declared it as stage 2B. Further we sent her slides to the laboratory for review and there they found the left parametrium free and right parametrium with few tumour cells that are non-reactive. The report states, "right parametrium show few tumour cells, however no reaction is seen against these tumour cells, thereby interpreted as floater". Can you please throw some light as to what do the above statement means in the lab report? What impact does this statement make in relation to the staging of tumour?
Hello. I went through the reports and my opinion is as follows: Diagnosis is that of squamous cell carcinoma of cervix, moderately differentiated, non-keratinizing type. Your mother has undergone Wertheim's hysterectomy, also called radical hysterectomy. This is the surgical procedure of removal of the womb along with some of the surrounding structures. Tumour cells, at any location induce inflammation. They are foreign cells, so some amount of inflammation will be found around the tumour tissue. During the time of taking bits of tissue for histopathology reporting, some tumour sections stay back in the sectioning area. These can attach to other areas and can present as tumour tissue. These are called as floaters. Parametrium is the fibrous tissue that separates the cervix from the bladder. The above mentioned tissue is found in the right parametrium and hence interpreted as floaters. Also during sectioning times, tissue overlapping can occur. Here the tumour tissue is attached to the parametrium, thereby being interpreted as parametrium invasion and hence changing the stage of the tumour. Unless tumor cells with surrounding inflammation are present, they would be floaters. Here it is only an overlap. Lymph nodes are not involved. So further treatment will not be necessary. Consult a surgical oncologist online for further follow up -->