Management of lymph nodes in endometrioid uterine cancer

Abstract

Hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is the standard surgery for endometrial cancer. However, the indication and extent of surgical lymph node staging continues to be controversial if the carcinoma is confined to the uterus, even in the eyes of the experts. The survival benefit of this invasive staging technique has not been clearly demonstrated in this setting. We have focused our review on lymph node disease in patients with early endometrial cancer. We report on the important issues surrounding lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer and the results of a recent large randomized trial that do not indicate a benefit of surgical staging. Other issues, including complications and the benefits of combining laparoscopy with lymphadenectomy, will also be discussed. Pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomies are not appropriate for low-risk patients with endometrioid uterine cancer. The risk-benefit balance for these patients seems rather in favor of not performing surgical staging. On the contrary, high-risk patients would seem to benefit from complete pelvic and para-aortic lymph node staging with adjuvant treatments tailored to the results of lymphadenectomy.