TABLE 3.

Queries by ICCR to FIGO with response

FIGO 2018 queries by ICCR	FIGO response
“Clinically visible lesions, and those with larger dimensions, are allocated to stage IB”	There is flexibility in how tumors are staged (clinically, radiographically, pathologically); if available, pathologic stage is used; if radiology and pathology are not available, clinical visibility is used to assign stage IB
“The margins should be reported to be negative for disease. If the margins of the cone biopsy are positive for invasive cancer, the patient is allocated to stage IB1”	In the event that the margins of a cone/loop biopsy are positive for the disease, a repeat cone/loop biopsy is required to stage the patient
“The presence of micrometastasis (MIC) or isolated tumor cells (ITCs) may be recorded but their presence does not change the stage”	This was an error in the original publication and the correction has now been made that micrometastases (but not ITCs) constitute stage IIIC
“Presently ovarian involvement does not change the stage.”—Why does this form of extrauterine involvement not change the stage?	Ovarian involvement “does not change stage because of low incidence in early stage disease (<1% in SCC, <5% in other types), often associated with other high risk features, and limited data on impact on survival as an independent risk factor (commentary under stage II section)
Shallow but wide (>7 mm) tumors—what are the data for designating stage by depth of invasion only?	There is not adequate information on prognostic implications of a wide shallow lesion. In cases with multifocal lesions also, there is limited information regarding the impact. Depth correlates best with lymphovascular space invasion and blood vessel invasion because of tumor dislodgement and proximity to blood vessels. Hence depth of invasion is the most important to be noted

FIGO indicates International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; ICCR, International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting.