Lymphadenectomy should be performed up to the renal vein in patients with intermediate-high risk endometrial cancer.

Abstract

We aimed to evaluate para-aortic metastases relative to the level of inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) and to discuss the clinico-pathological features of these patients. A total of 204 patients who underwent systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy up to the level of renal veins for endometrial cancer between January 2007 and August 2013 were included in this study. Of these 204 patients, 44 (21.6 %) had lymph node involvement. From a total of 27 patients with paraaortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis, 11 had only supramesenteric and 4 had only inframesenteric nodal involvement, while 12 had both supramesenteric and inframesenteric metastases. Supramesenteric lymph node metastases were detected in 85.2 % of patients who have para-aortic metastases and in 11.3 % of all patients. Additionally, 5 patients had only supramesenteric lymphatic metastasis. The surgico-pathological characteristics of patients with isolated supramesenteric and inframesenteric metastasis were similar. However, the patients with lymphatic spread in both regions were found to have pelvic lymphatic metastasis and cervical invasion more commonly compared to patients with only supramesenteric or only inframesenteric metastasis. The site of metastatic lymph nodes wasn't associated with the likelihood and site of recurrence. Lymphadenectomy should be performed up to the level of renal vein in case of the presence of indication for lymphadenectomy in patients with endometrial cancer. Additionally, it is not possible to predict the patients with supramesenteric lymph node involvement by tumor grade, histological type and myometrial invasion.