Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) to treat cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in rural India.
Method: Women with CIN colposcopic features unsuitable for cryotherapy were treated with LEEP using a "see-and-treat" approach. Women with unsatisfactory colposcopy had diagnostic LEEP. Cure was defined as no clinical or histologic evidence of CIN at 1-year follow-up. Factors influencing cure rates were evaluated by chi(2) tests.
Results: Of the 1,141 women who underwent LEEP (569 see-and-treat; 572 unsatisfactory colposcopy), 634 had histologically proven CIN. Of those, 489 reported for follow-up and 459 (93.9%) had no evidence of disease. Cure rates were 98.1% for women with CIN 1, 93.6% for CIN 2, and 85.0% for CIN 3. Patients with CIN 2-3 had significantly lower cure rates.
Conclusion: Cure rates for LEEP provided by newly trained doctors in rural India were similar to those reported in the gynecological literature.