Routine investigations in the clinical staging of invasive carcinoma of the cervix. A critical evaluation.

From July 1976 to December 1978 invasive carcinoma of the cervix in 369 new patients at Tygerberg Hospital, Parowvallei, CP, was classified into stages according to the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification. Most of these patients underwent routine intravenous pyelography, cystoscopy, and skeletal and chest radiography, the results of which were analysed in relation to the stage of the disease to decide whether all these investigations are needed in every case. It is concluded that under certain circumstances cystoscopy and skeletal radiography may be omitted with safety in stage I and stage II disease.