Studies question the minimally invasive approach for treating cervical cancer. Women with early-stage cervical cancer who undergo abdominal radical hysterectomy have fewer recurrences and better progression-free survival than women who have minimally invasive radical hysterectomy, conclude two new reports from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, published in the November 15, 2018, New England Journal of Medicine. The studies are the first to compare recurrence rates, disease-free and overall survival rates, and cancer outcomes. One study found that women having minimally invasive radical hysterectomy had four times more disease progression than those in the abdominal radical hysterectomy group, but that this latter group had higher disease-free survival after 4.5 years. Another study found that, after four years, the mortality risk was higher for the minimally invasive group than for the abdominal radical hysterectomy group. This higher risk was independent of tumor size, histology, and type of surgical procedure.