Effect of Conization Prior to Radical Hysterectomy on Overall and Progression-Free Survival in Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

<b>Objective</b>: To evaluate the association of preoperative conization prior to radical hysterectomy (RH) with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. <b>Methods</b>: We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving patients with stage IB1 cervical cancer treated by RH at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, between January 2003 and December 2019. Propensity-score matching (1:1 ratio, caliper of 0.2 standard deviations) was used to balance covariates between patients who underwent conization (<i>n</i> = 314) and those who did not (<i>n</i> = 528). Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test. Subgroup analysis was also conducted on patients without high-risk histopathological factors, including pelvic node metastasis, parametrial invasion, and positive vaginal margins. <b>Results</b>: A total of 274 matched pairs were analyzed. Conization was significantly associated with improved OS (log-rank <i>p</i> = 0.03). For PFS, the benefit associated with conization was not demonstrated (log-rank <i>p</i> = 0.18). Similarly, subgroup analysis excluding patients with high-risk histopathological factors showed a significant association between conization and improved OS (log-rank <i>p</i> = 0.04) but not with PFS (log-rank <i>p</i> = 0.29). <b>Conclusions</b>: Conization prior to RH is significantly associated with improved OS in patients with early-stage cervical cancer, though its association with PFS remains inconclusive. These findings support the integration of conization into personalized surgical treatment strategies, with further prospective validation recommended.