Staging laparotomy and survival in carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Pretreatment staging laparotomy in carcinoma of the uterine cervix has been advocated because surgical staging may detect disease not apparent clinically. An analysis of survival and local control data from previously reported large series of patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix shows that surgical staging does not increase survival rates. It is likely that surgical staging may also increase morbidity from therapy.