Cervical adenocarcinoma in young women: possible relationship to microglandular hyperplasia and use of oral contraceptives.

: The clinical and pathologic features of 18 cases of endocervical adenocarcinoma (in situ and invasive) and adenosquamous carcinoma in women less than 50 years of age were reviewed. The findings were compared with those from an equal number of cases of cervical squamous carcinoma (in situ and invasive), obtained by matching for age and year of diagnosis. A positive history of oral contraceptive use was found in five cases (28%) in the study group and in seven (39%) of the squamous carcinoma control patients. Microglandular hyperplasia was present in five cases of adenocarcinoma and one case of squamous carcinoma. Neither of these differences is statistically significant. Additionally, in only one case was there a transition from microglandular hyperplasia to adenocarcinoma--in a patient who was not on oral contraceptives but who received medroxyprogesterone acetate for vaginal bleeding. These findings fail to support the hypothesis that use of oral contraceptives or presence of microglandular hyperplasia is causally related to the development of endocervical carcinoma.