Prevalence and standardized incidence rates of preclinical cervical pathology among 1,061 women sterilized with transcervical quinacrine hydrochloride pellets.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the incidence of in situ cervical carcinoma was increased among a cohort of women who received transcervical insertions of quinacrine hydrochloride pellets into the uterine cavity as a method of nonsurgical sterilization.

DESIGN

Retrospective review of Papanicolaou (Pap) test results, comparing incidence of high-grade lesions among quinacrine acceptors with a comparison population.

SETTING

Outpatient clinics, Santiago, Chile.

SUBJECTS

Women attending a family planning clinic (quinacrine acceptors) and a comparison population from another area of Santiago.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Incidence of in situ cervical carcinoma.

RESULTS

During 3,668 woman-years of follow-up, 8 women in the quinacrine group were found to have in situ carcinomas for an age-adjusted rate of 2.62 per 1,000 woman-years. The incidence in a comparison population was 1.62 per 1,000 woman-years, but the difference was not statistically different.

CONCLUSIONS

The age-standardized incidence of in situ carcinoma among the quinacrine sterilized women was not significantly different from the rate in a comparison population of women in Santiago. However, the study has a number of limitations.