Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer

Cervical Cancer in Pregnancy

The risk of progression of CIN-2 or CIN-3 to invasive cervical cancer during pregnancy is minimal and the rate of spontaneous regression postpartum is relatively high. Between 60-70% of cases of CIN spontaneously regress after delivery. Therefore, the goals of management for pregnant women with CIN-2 and CIN-3 are to identify the rare cases of invasive cancer that could occur during pregnancy.

Pregnant women should be followed closely by Pap and colposcopic evaluation each trimester, and definitive treatment should be postponed until after delivery. Excisional procedures performed during pregnancy are associated with complications that include significant bleeding and preterm births so these procedures should be limited to women in whom invasive cancer cannot be excluded.

Invasive cervical cancer diagnosed before 24 weeks of gestation is generally treated as in the non-pregnant woman. If diagnosed after 24 weeks, treatment may be postponed until the fetus is delivered.