[Early-stage endometrial cancer: Sentinel node or lymphadenectomy?]

[Diagnostic accuracy of a hysteroscopic score for the detection of endometrial cancer in patients with postmenopausal bleeding and endometrial thickening]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of hysteroscopic scores in endometrial cancer.

METHODS

Diagnostic accuracy study assembled within a cross-sectional study that included patients with postmenopausal bleeding and endometrial thickening greater than 5 mm in whom hysteroscopy was performed and then compared with endometrial biopsy as the diagnostic gold standard, in two high complexity hospitals. Clinical, sociodemographic variables, as well as hysteroscopic scores and the results of endometrial tissue histopathology were measured. Sensitivity and specificity, likelihood ratios and area under the curve with their respective confidence intervals were estimated in the analysis.

RESULTS

With a 9 % prevalence of endometrial cancer, the hysteroscopic assessment system was shown to have 75 % sensitivity (95 % CI; 30.1- 95.43), 95,1 % specificity (95 % CI; 83.9-98.7), a positive likelihood ratio of 15.38 (95 %; CI 3.55- 66.56), a negative likelihood ratio of 0.26 and area under the curve of 85 %.

CONCLUSIONS

The standardized hysteroscopic assessment system was found to have an acceptable sensitivity for screening in patients with postmenopausal bleeding and endometrial thickening (≥ 5 mm). Further studies with larger sample sizes are required in order to arrive at a more precise estimation of the operational characteristics of the hysteroscopic assessment system for the detection of endometrial cancer.

Low-Volume Nodal Metastasis in Endometrial Cancer: Risk Factors and Prognostic Significance

Objective: To evaluate the oncological outcomes of patients with low-volume metastasis compared to those with macrometastasis and negative nodes in endometrial cancer. Methods: A single institutional retrospective study was carried out, which included all patients with endometrial cancer who underwent surgical treatment between January 2007 and December 2016. We analyzed the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of all patients after sentinel node biopsy and full nodal surgical staging according to their final pathological nodal status, focusing on the impact of the size of nodal metastasis. Results: A total of 270 patients were operated on during the study period; among them, 230 (85.2%) patients underwent nodal staging. On final pathology, 196 (85.2%) patients had negative lymph nodes; low-volume metastasis (LVM) was present in 14 (6.1%) patients: 6 (2.6%) patients had isolated tumor cells (ITCs) and 8 (3.5%) patients presented just micrometastasis; additionally, 20 (8.7%) patients presented macrometastasis. After a median (range) follow-up of 60 (0-146) months, patients with macrometastasis showed a significantly worse PFS compared to LVM and node-negative patients (61.1% vs. 71.4% vs. 83.2%, respectively; p = 0.018), and similar results were obtained for 5-year OS (50% vs. 78.6% vs. 81.5%, respectively; p < 0.001). Half of the patients presenting LVM did not receive adjuvant treatment. Moreover, LVM had a moderate nonsignificant decrease in 5-year PFS compared to node-negative patients. Conclusions: Patients with endometrial cancer and low-volume nodal metastasis demonstrated a better prognosis than those presenting macrometastasis. Low-volume metastasis did not show worse oncological outcomes than node-negative patients, although there was a slight decrease in progression-free survival.

Laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients with intermediate-risk endometrial cancer: Is it worth it?

OBJECTIVE

The main aim of this study is to evaluate operative and postoperative morbidity of laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy as well as its potential impact on the postoperative management in patients with an intermediate-risk of endometrial cancer.

METHODS

We did a retrospective study between January 2009 and December 2013. We included all patients operated by laparoscopy for endometrial cancer presumed to have an intermediate-risk of recurrence. Pelvic lymphadenectomy in this group of patients was performed at the discretion of operating surgeons. Patients were consequently divided into two groups according to whether or not pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. We made a comparative analysis between these two groups.

RESULTS

Overall, 116 patients were managed for endometrial cancer presumed to be intermediate-risk. Among these, 93 received treatment with laparoscopy and were included in the study. Patients' characteristics did not differ between the two groups. The mean duration of surgery was significantly longer when pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. The average number of retrieved lymph nodes was 13 and we had seven patients with positive lymph nodes (10%).

CONCLUSION

Pelvic lymphadenectomy allows a better postoperative classification for some patients without more complication.