Current status of sentinel lymph node mapping in the management of cervical cancer

Sentinel lymph node mapping with indocyanine green using SPY-PHI in open radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the detection rate of at least one sentinel lymph node (SLN) in patients with early cervical cancer who underwent open radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy using indocyanine green (ICG) with the SPY Portable Handler Imager (SPY-PHI) system.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients with cervical cancer FIGO 2018 stage IA1 with lymphovascular invasion up to stage IIIC1p who underwent SLN mapping and open radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy from March 2018 through August 2022 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. ICG was the only tracer used with the SPY-PHI system. Patient demographics, surgical approach, and tumor factors were analyzed. Overall detection, bilateral detection, and empty lymph node packet rates were determined.

RESULTS

A total of 106 patients were included. Ninety-four (88.7%) patients underwent open radical hysterectomy and 12 (11.3%) open radical trachelectomy. Median age was 40 years (range, 23-71). Median body mass index was 28.8 kg/m2 (range, 17.6-48.4). The most common FIGO 2018 stages were IB1 (35%) and IB2 (30%). The most common histologic subtypes were squamous cell carcinoma (45%) and adenocarcinoma (45%). Most patients had grade 2 disease (61%) and no lymphovascular invasion (58%). Median tumor size was 1.8 cm (range, 0.3-4). Median number of detected SLN was 4 (range, 0-12). An SLN was identified during surgery in 104 patients (98%), with bilateral mapping in 94 (89%) and unilateral mapping in 10 (9%). The empty lymph node packet rate was 4 (3.8%). The external iliac (73%) was the most common site of SLN detection. Fourteen patients had positive lymph nodes (13.5%); 3 (21.4%) had macrometastases, 9 (64.3%) had micrometastases, and 2 (14.3%) had isolated tumor cells.

CONCLUSION

SLN mapping using ICG with the SPY-PHI system in open radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy is reliable and results in high overall and bilateral detection rates in patients with early cervical cancer.

Surgical Treatment for Early Cervical Cancer in the HPV Era: State of the Art

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. The aim of this study is to focus on the state of the art of CC prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment and, within the latter, the role of surgery in the various stages of the disease with a focus on the impact of the LACC study (Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer trial) on the scientific debate and clinical practice. We have discussed the controversial application of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for tumors < 2 cm and the possibility of fertility-sparing surgery on young women desirous of pregnancy. This analysis provides support for surgeons in the choice of better management, including patients with a desire for offspring and the need for sentinel node biopsy (SNB) rather than pelvic lymphadenectomy for tumors < 4 cm, and without suspicious lymph nodes' involvement on imaging. Vaccines and early diagnosis of pre-cancerous lesions are the most effective public health tool to tackle cervical cancer worldwide.

A federated approach to identify women with early-stage cervical cancer at low risk of lymph node metastases

OBJECTIVE

Lymph node metastases (pN+) in presumed early-stage cervical cancer negatively impact prognosis. Using federated learning, we aimed to develop a tool to identify a group of women at low risk of pN+, to guide the shared decision-making process concerning the extent of lymph node dissection.

METHODS

Women with cervical cancer between 2005 and 2020 were identified retrospectively from population-based registries: the Danish Gynaecological Cancer Database, Swedish Quality Registry for Gynaecologic Cancer and Netherlands Cancer Registry. Inclusion criteria were: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma; The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2009 IA2, IB1 and IIA1; treatment with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node assessment. We applied privacy-preserving federated logistic regression to identify risk factors of pN+. Significant factors were used to stratify the risk of pN+.

RESULTS

We included 3606 women (pN+ 11%). The most important risk factors of pN+ were lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) (odds ratio [OR] 5.16, 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.59-5.79), tumour size 21-40 mm (OR 2.14, 95% CI, 1.89-2.43) and depth of invasion>10 mm (OR 1.81, 95% CI, 1.59-2.08). A group of 1469 women (41%)-with tumours without LVSI, tumour size ≤20 mm, and depth of invasion ≤10 mm-had a very low risk of pN+ (2.4%, 95% CI, 1.7-3.3%).

CONCLUSION

Early-stage cervical cancer without LVSI, a tumour size ≤20 mm and depth of invasion ≤10 mm, confers a low risk of pN+. Based on an international privacy-preserving analysis, we developed a useful tool to guide the shared decision-making process regarding lymph node dissection.

Fluorescent Indocyanine Green versus Technetium-99m and Blue Dye for Bilateral SENTinel Lymph Node Detection in Stage I-IIA Cervical Cancer (FluoreSENT): protocol for a non-inferiority study

INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, two predominant methods for detecting sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in cervical cancer are in use. The most conventional method is a combination of a radiotracer, technetium-99m (^99mTc) and blue dye. More recently, another method for SLN mapping using indocyanine green (ICG) is becoming widely accepted. ICG is a fluorescent dye, visualised intraoperatively with near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging, providing real-time visual navigation. The presumed advantages of ICG over ^99mTc, that is, being cheaper, non-radioactive and logistically more attractive, are only valuable if its detection rate proves to be at least non-inferior. Before omitting the well-functioning and evidence-based combined approach of ^99mTc and blue dye, we aim to provide prospective evidence on the non-inferiority of ICG with NIR fluorescence imaging.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We initiated a prospective non-inferiority study with a paired comparison of both SLN methods in a single sample of 101 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IA-IB2 or IIA1 cervical cancer receiving primary surgical treatment. All patients undergo SLN mapping with ICG and NIR fluorescence imaging in adjunct to mapping with ^99mTc (including single photon emission computed tomography with X-ray computed tomography (SPECT/CT)) and blue dye. Surgeons start SLN detection with ICG while being blinded for the preoperative outcome of SPECT/CT to avoid biased detection with ICG. Primary endpoint of this study is bilateral SLN detection rate of both methods (ie, detection of at least one SLN in each hemipelvis). Since we compare strategies for SLN mapping that are already applied in current daily practice for different types of cancer, no additional risks or burdens are expected from these study procedures.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The current study is approved by the Medical Ethics Research Committee Utrecht (reference number 21-014). Findings arising from this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, academic conferences and through patient organisations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NL9011 and EudraCT 2020-005134-15.

Clinical outcome of FIGO 2018 stage IB3/IIA2 cervical cancer treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical surgery due to lack of radiotherapy equipment: A retrospective comparison with concurrent chemoradiotherapy

This study aimed to assess neoadjuvant chemotherapy’s clinical outcomes such as efficacy, toxicity, and survival outcomes followed by radical hysterectomy ((NACT-RS) among women with cervical cancer stage IB3 and IIA2, by comparing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and NACT-RS. The study retrospectively reviewed patients with (2018 FIGO) stage IB3 and IIA2 cervical cancer who received preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by NACT-RS or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). The outcome measures were the 5-year survival and complication rates between the two groups. The median follow-up was 75 months. In total, 218 patients had stage IIA2, 136 patients had stage IB3, 201 patients received CCRT, and 153 patients received preoperative NACT-RS. In the CCRT group, the incidence of early complications (myelosuppression, gastrointestinal and urinary) was higher compared with that in the NACT-RS group (76.1 vs. 26.1%; p < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference between the two study groups concerning late complications. Five-year PFS was 79.9% and 85.5% in the NACT-RS and CCRT groups, respectively (p = 0.093). Five-year OS was 86.9% and 85.5% in the NACT-RS and CCRT groups, respectively (p = 0.97). In the multivariate clinicopathologic characteristics analysis for OS, initial tumor size > 4.3 cm (HR 5.11; p < 0.001), AC/ASC (HR 1.89; p = 0.02), histologic grade 2–3 (HR 2.25; p = 0.04), and 2018 FIGO stage IIA2 (HR 8.67; p < 0.001) were independent risk factors. The survival of patients with stage IB3 and IIA2 cervical cancer treated with NACT-RS was similar to that of patients treated with CCRT without increasing side effects.

Clinical Study of Sentinel Lymph Node Detection to Evaluate Pelvic Lymph Node Metastasis to Determine the Prognosis of Patients with Early Cervical Cancer

Objective

Lymph node status is one of the most important prognostic factors for uterine cervical cancer. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has emerged as a potential alternative to systematic lymphadenectomy for the lymph node mapping in such patients. However, the SLN metastasis detection via SLN biopsy in early-stage cervical cancer remains controversial. The current study is aimed at investigating the feasibility and accuracy of combined tracer method for localization of SLN in initial stages of cervical cancer and to evaluate the clinical value of SLN biopsy in replacing pelvic lymph node resection.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 348 cases who were admitted to the Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Shandong Provincial Cancer Hospital, China, between February 2003 and June 2018 with FIGO stage IA2 to IIA2 cervical cancer and undergone through SLN biopsy. Methylthioninium chloride was injected in combination with ^99mtechnetium-labeled sulfur colloid prior to surgery to these patients. SLNs were identified intraoperatively, excised, and subsequently submitted to fast frozen section. The detection rates, accuracy, sensitivity, coincidence rate, false negative rate, and negative predictive values of these cases were estimated, and the follow-up outcomes were carefully observed. Chi squared test or Fisher's exact test was employed for a comparison of the categorical variables. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used for estimation of relationships between overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) and prognostic factors.

Results

The total detection rate of SLN was 97.1% (338/348), and identification of bilateral SLN was successful in 237 patients (70.1%). The patient's tumor size, FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, and depth of invasion had statistically significant differences in SLN detection rates. The detection rate had inverse relation with tumors size (>4 cm), invasive depth > 2/3, lymph node positive, late staging, and preoperative radiotherapy. 117 positive SLNs were detected in 73 patients. The negative predictive value, sensitivity, false negative rate, and coincidence rate and were 97.7%, 92.4%, 7.6%, and 95.4%, respectively. In patients whose tumor size were ≦ 4 cm, the false negative rate was 4.55% (2/44), whereas it was 0 in patients with tumor size≦2 cm. The respective 1, 3, and 5-year OS was 100%, 94.8%, and 91.8%, respectively, whereas DFS rate for 1, 3, and 5 years was 96.7%, 92%, and 89.6%, respectively. The lymph node was positive, tumor size, the depth of invasion, and staging were statistically different from the recurrence rate and survival rate of patients (p < 0.05). When tumor metastasis exceeded SLN, the recurrence rate was significantly increased, and survival rate is significantly reduced (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively).

Conclusions

The identification of SLN combined with ^99mtechnetium-labeled sulfur colloid and methylthioninium chloride has a good accuracy and is safe for the assessment of the status of pelvic nodes in patients with initial stage cervical cancer. Nuclide as a tracer has low dependence on objective conditions and doctors' technology and has a good detection rate. In our study, we believe that SLN biopsy is feasible when the tumor is ≦ 4 cm. Large scale clinical trials are required in China expand the sample size and validate the results of this study.

Management of Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A Literature Review

Simple Summary

Despite being a preventable disease, cervical cancer still causes morbidity and deaths worldwide. In the early stages (FIGO IA1 with lymph-vascular space invasion-IIA1), the disease is highly curable. The primary treatment for early-stage cervical cancer is radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. This surgical treatment has changed during the past decades, and we aimed to review and discuss the advances in the literature. We performed a literature review through PubMed focusing on English articles about the topic of surgical management of early-stage cervical cancer. The emergent topics considered here are the FIGO 2018 staging system update, conservative management for selected patients, sentinel lymph node mapping, fertility preservation, surgical approach, and management of tumors up to 2 cm. These topics show an evolvement to a more tailored treatment to prevent morbidity and assure oncologic safety.

Abstract

Cervical cancer (CC) remains a public health issue worldwide despite preventive measures. Surgical treatment in the early-stage CC has evolved during the last decades. Our aim was to review the advances in the literature and summarize the ongoing studies on this topic. To this end, we conducted a literature review through PubMed focusing on English-language articles on the surgical management of early-stage CC. The emergent topics considered here are the FIGO 2018 staging system update, conservative management with less radical procedures for selected patients, lymph node staging, fertility preservation, preferred surgical approach, management of tumors up to 2 cm, and prognosis. In terms of updating FIGO, we highlight the inclusion of lymph node status on staging and the possibility of imaging. Regarding the preferred surgical approach, we emphasize the LACC trial impact worldwide in favor of open surgery; however, we discuss the controversial application of this for tumors < 2 cm. In summary, all topics show a tendency to provide patients with tailored treatment that avoids morbidity while maintaining oncologic safety, which is already possible in high-income countries. We believe that efforts should focus on making this a reality for low-income countries as well.

short review of current implementations of sentinel lymph node mapping in gynecologic cancers

Lymph node metastasis both increases disease stage and alters adjuvant treatment plans in gynecologic cancers. Since a minority of the patients have nodal metastasis, many patients unnecessarily undergo complete lymphadenectomy and are exposed to the subsequent morbidities. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping is an alternative for evaluation of lymph nodes with lesser side effects. Although it is yet an experimental approach in ovarian cancer, it has been incorporated into guidelines for endometrial, cervical and vulvar cancers. We aimed to summarize the current situation of SLN mapping in gynecologic cancers.

Sentinel-Lymph-Node Multicenter Trials

Well executed multicenter clinical trials often provide significant evidence and support for, or against, foundational aspects of clinical procedures perceived to improve clinical management of a medical condition. In this review, discussed are reports of multicenter clinical trials designed to investigate sentinel lymph node biopsy procedures in seven types of cancer: breast, melanoma, head and neck, gastric, colon, uterine, and vulvar-with focus on the most recent reports of the hypotheses, objectives, parameters, data, results, implications, and impacts of the included trials. Such trials generally enroll more subjects, in shorter time periods, than do single-center studies. Such studies generally also have greater diversities among investigator practitioners and investigative environments than do single-center studies. The greater number of subjects provides more power to statistical analyses performed in such studies. The more rapid accrual usually results in data being more consistently acquired. The diversities of practitioners and environments may produce results that are more conservative than might be obtained from more "focused" studies; however, diversities in a study often identify implicitly results that are more robust-that is results applicable by more practitioners and applicable in more environments.

Role of carbon nanoparticle suspension in sentinel lymph node biopsy for early-stage cervical cancer: a prospective study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical diagnostic validity of carbon nanoparticle suspension (CNS) in sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for assessing lymphatic spread of early-stage cervical cancer.

DESIGN

A prospective study.

SETTING AND POPULATION

356 cases.

METHODS

We enrolled 356 stage Ia2-IIa2 cervical cancer patients to undergo SLNB using CNS, followed by systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy. All lymph node specimens were assessed using conventional histopathologic ± pathologic ultrastaging analyses.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Sentinel lymph node detection rate (DR), clinical diagnostic validity and various related factors were analysed.

RESULTS

CNS identified 1456 SLNs in 325 patients. The overall SLN DR was 91.29%. A significantly higher DR was found for patients with tumours <20 mm (97.75% versus 71.91%; P < 0.001). Two patients had false-negative results. SLNB with CNS had sensitivity of 96.65%, false-negative rate (FNR) of 4.35% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.29%. Importantly, sensitivity (100%), NPV (100%) and FNR (0%) were improved when testing the subgroup of patients with tumours <20 mm (267 cases). There were no observed differences in DR based on pathological type or grade, stage, depth of stromal invasion, surgical approach, menopausal status or prior treatment with chemotherapy (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Sentinel lymph node biopsy with CNS results in favourable DR, sensitivity and NPV for women with early-stage cervical cancer with small tumour sizes. SLNB with CNS is safe, feasible and relatively effective for guiding precise surgical treatment of early-stage cervical cancer.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Sentinel lymph node biopsy with carbon nanoparticle suspension is safe and feasible for early-stage cervical cancer.

Sentinel lymph node mapping and intraoperative assessment in a prospective, international, multicentre, observational trial of patients with cervical cancer: The SENTIX trial

BACKGROUND

SENTIX (ENGOT-CX2/CEEGOG-CX1) is an international, multicentre, prospective observational trial evaluating sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy without pelvic lymph node dissection in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. We report the final preplanned analysis of the secondary end-points: SLN mapping and outcomes of intraoperative SLN pathology.

METHODS

Forty-seven sites (18 countries) with experience of SLN biopsy participated in SENTIX. We preregistered patients with stage IA1/lymphovascular space invasion-positive to IB2 (4 cm or smaller or 2 cm or smaller for fertility-sparing treatment) cervical cancer without suspicious lymph nodes on imaging before surgery. SLN frozen section assessment and pathological ultrastaging were mandatory. Patients were registered postoperatively if SLN were bilaterally detected in the pelvis, and frozen sections were negative.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02494063).

RESULTS

We analysed data for 395 preregistered patients. Bilateral detection was achieved in 91% (355/395), and it was unaffected by tumour size, tumour stage or body mass index, but it was lower in older patients, in patients who underwent open surgery, and in sites with fewer cases. No SLN were found outside the seven anatomical pelvic regions. Most SLN and positive SLN were localised below the common iliac artery bifurcation. Single positive SLN above the iliac bifurcation were found in 2% of cases. Frozen sections failed to detect 54% of positive lymph nodes (pN1), including 28% of cases with macrometastases and 90% with micrometastases.

INTERPRETATION

SLN biopsy can achieve high bilateral SLN detection in patients with tumours of 4 cm or smaller. At experienced centres, all SLN were found in the pelvis, and most were located below the iliac vessel bifurcation. SLN frozen section assessment is an unreliable tool for intraoperative triage because it only detects about half of N1 cases.

Detection of sentinel lymph node in laparoscopic surgery for uterine cervical cancer using carbon nanoparticles

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) has been widely confirmed the efficiency in sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping for various solid tumors. This study aims to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of CNPs during laparoscopic surgery for cervical cancer.

METHODS

We analyzed 45 women with stage IB1-IIA1 cervical cancer who underwent SLN mapping using CNPs during laparoscopic surgery. The effectiveness of CNPs was evaluated by the detection rate and accuracy parameters. Factors associated with SLN laterality and SLNs localizations were analyzed.

RESULTS

The overall and bilateral detection rate was 93.3% (42/45) and 60.0% (27/45), respectively. Elevated body mass index was associated with decreased bilateral detection rate (P = .015). A total of 225 SLNs were harvested, with a mean number of 5.0 ± 3.6. A total of 81.3% of SLNs were in expected localizations including external iliac (39.1%), internal iliac (25.8%), and obturator (16.4%) regions, while 18.7% in unusual localizations including common iliac (10.7%), parametrial (7.6%), and presarcal (0.4%) regions. None positive lymph node was found in non-SLNs with a false-negative rate of 0%.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic SLN mapping with CNPs appears to be simple and efficient for patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

Micrometastases in Sentinel Lymph Nodes Represent a Significant Negative Prognostic Factor in Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A Single-Institutional Retrospective Cohort Study

The data on the prognostic significance of low volume metastases in lymph nodes (LN) are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the outcome of a large group of patients treated with sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy at a single referral center. Patients with cervical cancer, stage T1a-T2b, common tumor types, negative LN on preoperative staging, treated by primary surgery between 01/2007 and 12/2016, with at least unilateral SLN detection were included. Patients with abandoned radical surgery due to intraoperative SLN positivity detected by frozen section were excluded. All SLNs were postoperatively processed by an intensive protocol for pathological ultrastaging. Altogether, 226 patients were analyzed. Positive LN were detected in 38 (17%) cases; macrometastases (MAC), micrometastases (MIC), isolated tumor cells (ITC) in 14, 16, and 8 patients. With the median follow-up of 65 months, 22 recurrences occurred. Disease-free survival (DFS) reached 90% in the whole group, 93% in LN-negative cases, 89% in cases with MAC, 69% with MIC, and 87% with ITC. The presence of MIC in SLN was associated with significantly decreased DFS and OS. Patients with MIC and MAC should be managed similarly, and SLN ultrastaging should become an integral part of the management of patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

Clinicopathological risk factors in the light of the revised 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging system for early cervical cancer with staging IB: A single center retrospective study

To validate the revised 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system for cervical cancer on the survival of patients who underwent radical hysterectomy for 2009 FIGO stage IB carcinomas.We retrospectively identified and reviewed 251 patients treated with radical hysterectomy for 2009 FIGO stage IB cervical carcinomas from January 2011 to December 2016. The re-staged IB cohort consisted of 2018 FIGO stage IB1 (tumor size <2 cm), IB2 (2-3.9 cm), IB3 (≥4 cm), and IIIC1p (any pelvic nodal metastasis) cervical cancer. The univariate log-rank test and multivariate Cox regression models were performed for all potential clinic pathological risk factors based on cancer stage.On re-staging the 251 patients with 2009 FIGO stage IB using the 2018 FIGO staging system, 96 patients (38.2%) had stage IB1, 109 patients (43.4%) had stage IB2, 28 patients (11.2%) had stage IB3, and 18 patients (7.2%) had stage IIIC1p. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of patients with 2018 FIGO stage IB1, IB2, IB3, and IIIC1p were 97.9%, 92.7%, 78.6%, and 61.1%, respectively. The 5-year progression-free survival rates were 97.9%, 92.7%,63.7%, and 20.8%, respectively. Factors significantly affecting OS and disease-free survival were 2018 FIGO stage≥IB3, histologic grade 2-3, and lymph node involvement.The revised 2018 FIGO staging system seemed to accurately reflect the survival rate, with a distinct statistical tendency for poorer 5-year disease-free survival and OS rates with increasing stage. Women with positive lymph nodes in this classification were classified as having stage IIIC disease, which can achieve more realistic survival results than the previous staging system. The prognostic discrimination of histologic grade should be considered when revising the staging system in the future.

Risk factors for failure of bilateral sentinel lymph node mapping in early-stage cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to determine clinical, tumoral and surgical factors associated with successful bilateral sentinel lymph node mapping (SBM) in early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

We performed an ancillary work on the data of two prospective trials on SLN biopsy for FIGO IA-IIA cervical cancer (SENTICOL I & II). Patients having Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping for early-stage cervical cancer were included between 2005 and 2012 from 28 French oncologic centers. SLN was detected by a combined labeling technique (blue and isotopic).

RESULTS

405 patients were included for analysis: SLNs were identified on at least one side of the pelvis in 381 patients (94.1%) and bilaterally in 326 patients (80.5%). The mean age was 45.4 years [22-85 years]. Most patients had IB1 pathologic FIGO 2018 stage (81.3%) and squamous cell carcinoma (71%). Surgeries were mainly performed by minimally invasive approach (368 patients - 90.9%). By multivariate analysis, lower SBM rate was significantly associated with Age ≥70 years (ORa = 0.02, 95%CI = [0.001-0.28], p = 0.004), tumor size larger than 20 mm (ORa = 0.46,95%CI = [0.21-0.99], p = 0.048) and Body-mass index higher than 30 kg/m² (ORa = 0.28, 95%CI = [0.12-0.65], p = 0.003). SBM rate was significantly higher in high skills centers (>5patients/year) (ORa = 8.05, 95%CI = [2.06-31.50], p = 0.003) and in SENTICOL II (2009-2012) compared to SENTICOL I (2005-2007) (ORa = 2.6, 95%CI = [1.23-5.51], p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In early-stage cervical cancer, bilateral SLN detection rates is lower in patients aged more than 70years, patients with BMI≥30 kg/m² and larger tumor ≥20 mm whereas stronger experience of SLN biopsy technique improves bilateral SLN detection.

A GCIG international survey: clinical practice patterns of sentinel lymph node biopsies in cervical cancer

PURPOSE

To evaluate the practice patterns among centers and physicians worldwide regarding sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNB) in cervical cancer (CC) patients.

METHOD

A validated 35-item questionnaire regarding SLNB in CC supported by the Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup (GCIG), and sponsored by the North-Eastern German Society of Gynaecologic-Oncology (NOGGO) was sent to all major gynecological cancer societies across the globe for further distribution from October 2015 and continued for a period of 7 months.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-one institutions from around the world participated. One hundred and six (66%) of the participants were from university centers and 111 (69%) were gynecologic oncologists. One hundred and fifty-two (97%) performed lymphadenectomy (LNE) and 147 (94%) did so systematically; 97 (60%) used SLNB, due to lower morbidity (73%), reliability (55%) and time-saving (27%). In cases of positive SLNB (pN+), 39% of respondents stopped the operation and sent the patient for chemoradiation (CRT), 45% completed pelvic and paraaortic LNE, whereas 26% went on to perform a radical hysterectomy (RH) and systematic pelvic and paraaortic LNE. In case of negative SLNB (pN0), 39% of institutions still performed a systematic pelvic and paraaortic LNE.

CONCLUSION

In this survey worldwide, SLNB adoption is an encouraging 60%, yet ample differences exist regarding strategy, and to a lower extent the techniques used. Lack of experience is the most common reason SLNB is not performed. Efforts to increase surgical education on SLNB technique and multicenter prospective trials providing evidence-based guidelines are warranted.

Sentinel lymph node mapping using indocyanine green in patients with uterine and cervical neoplasms: restrictions of the method

Purpose

To establish the surgical, demographic and histopathological factors associated with inaccurate sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) identification using indocyanine green (ICG) and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging in uterine and cervical neoplasms during both open and laparoscopic surgery.

Methods

We reviewed patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH), clinical stage I and II cervical cancer or uterine malignancies who underwent primary surgery with SLN mapping between September 2015 and January 2018. An analysis of patients’ demographics, tumor factors and surgical approach was conducted. Bilateral and overall detection rates were calculated and univariate analysis was performed to estimate factors associated with failed SLN mapping.

Results

A total of 32 patients with uterine and cervical neoplasms were included in the study. The overall detection rate of the SLN was 84% and bilateral detection rate was 75%. There were no statistically relevant differences in overall and bilateral SLN detection rates by BMI, surgical approach or age. Regarding endometrial cancer, there were no differences in SLN detection rates when comparing tumor grade, histology nor myometrial invasion. For SLN detection failure, only the presence of metastatic lymph nodes and lack of surgical experience significantly increased the disability to detect SLNs (p = 0.03, p = 0.04, respectively).

Conclusions

SLN mapping technique using NIR fluorescence imaging with ICG appears to be accurate method in most of the patients with cervical or endometrial carcinoma, regardless of demographic characteristics, tumor-related features and surgical approach. Surgeons’ expertise in that field allows obtaining excellent detection rates.

A prospective multicenter trial on sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer (SENTIX)

Objective

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has been increasingly used in the management of early-stage cervical cancer. It appears in guidelines as an alternative option to systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy. The evidence about safety is, however, based mostly on retrospective studies, in which SLN was combined with systematic lymphadenectomy.

Materials and methods

SENTIX is a prospective multicenter trial aiming to prove that less-radical surgery with SLN is non-inferior to treatment with systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy. The primary end point is recurrence rate; the secondary end point is the prevalence of lower-leg lymphedema and symptomatic pelvic lymphocele. The reference recurrence rate was set up conservatively at 7% at 24 months after treatment. With a sample size of 300 patients treated per protocol, the trial is powered to detect a non-inferiority margin of 5% (90% power, p = 0.05) for recurrence rate, 30% reduction in the prevalence of symptomatic lymphocele or lower-leg lymphedema, with reference rates of 30% and 6% at 12 months (p = 0.025, Bonferroni correction). The patients eligible for SENTIX have stage IA1/LVSI+, IA2, IB1 (<2 cm for fertility sparing), with negative LN on pre-operative imaging. Intra-operatively, patients are excluded when there is a failure to detect SLN on both sides of the pelvis in cases of more advanced cancer (stage >IB1), or a positive intra-operative SLN assessment. The quality of SLN pathology evaluation will be assessed by central review. Three interim safety analyses are pre-planned when 30, 60, 150 patients complete 12 months' follow-up.

Conclusions

The first patient was enrolled into the study in June 2016 and, by June 2018, 340 patients had been enrolled. The first analysis of secondary outcomes should be available in 2019 and the oncological outcome of 300 patients at the end of 2021. The trial is registered as a CEEGOG trial (CEEGOG CX-01), ENGOT trial (ENGOT-Cx 2), and at the ClinicalTrials.gov database (NCT02494063).

Where Are We Going with Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Gynecologic Cancers?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping is a standard of care for lymphatic assessment of many early-stage gynecologic malignancies. We review the current data, emphasizing the utility of SLN mapping in the management of gynecologic cancers.

RECENT FINDINGS

Endometrial cancer: recent studies have focused on confirming the safety and efficacy of SLN mapping for high-risk patients. Cervical cancer: the LACC Trial demonstrated reduced survival with minimally invasive surgery, calling into question the validity of prior studies evaluating SLN mapping with a minimally invasive approach. Vulvar cancer: the ongoing GROINS-V-II trial is investigating whether patients with SLN metastasis < 2 mm in diameter can safely undergo adjuvant radiation ± chemotherapy without completion inguinal lymphadenectomy. NCCN guidelines have incorporated SLN mapping as a lymphatic assessment strategy for endometrial, cervical, and vulvar malignancies. SLN mapping appears to reduce morbidity while still maintaining an appropriate detection rate of lymphatic metastasis. Additional clinical trials will further our knowledge of these procedures.

Present status of sentinel lymph node biopsy in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, and seventh overall. This disease represents a medical, economic and social burden. In early FIGO stage patients (IA, IB1 and IIA1), nodal involvement is the most important prognostic factor. Imaging evaluation of nodal metastasis is of limited value. In order to determine lymph node involvement, allow loco-regional control of the disease, define the need for adjuvant radiotherapy and improve survival, standard surgery for early disease is radical hysterectomy with systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy. However, this surgical treatment has risks and complications: longer operative time, larger blood loss, neurovascular or ureteral injury, lower-limb lymphedema, symptomatic lymphocysts, hydronephrosis. A method that allows to define the presence of regional metastasis with less morbidity and equal or greater precision is particularly relevant. The use of the sentinel lymph node biopsy is intended to reach that purpose. The present study reviews recent literature on the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy in cervical cancer, analyzing its indications and contraindications, injection and detection techniques, tracers used, surgical and pathological approaches and its applicability in up-to-date clinical practice.

MR targeted imaging for the expression of tenascin-C in cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE:

To detect cervical cancer and compare tumor invasiveness using a molecular targeted probe.

METHODS:

Tenascin-C expression was evaluated in 15 specimens. Five of them were cervical cancer with node metastasis (group A), five were cervical cancer without node metastasis (group B), and another five were normal cervix tissues (group C). Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles and tenascin-C antibody were conjugated as an MR probe. After the fresh tissues incubated with the probe for 24 h, MR was performed to analysis the tissue signal changes.

RESULTS:

Cervical cancer tissues with node metastasis showed highest tenascin-C expression, while normal cervix showed little expression. For the non-metastatic cervical cancer patients, tenascin-C showed moderate expression. Tenascin-C was found diffusely in the stromal surrounding malignant tumor cells. After MR, the image signal changes (contrast-to-noise ratio) kept consistent with tenascin-C expression and showed statistical difference between the three groups (A: 3.87 ± 1.45 vs B: 2.33 ± 1.04 vs C: 0.66 ± 0.31; p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION:

Tenascin-C expression can help to detect cervical cancer. MRI with SPIO-antitenascin-C may be used to evaluate the preoperative cervical cancer patients with node metastasis.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE:

Tenascin-C expression can help to detect cervical cancer and compare cancer invasiveness. Protein expression difference can be captured and compared on MR with SPIO-antitenascin-C.

Isolated para-aortic lymph node metastasis in FIGO stage IA2-IB2 carcinoma of the cervix: Revisiting the role of surgical assessment

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the utility of para-aortic lymph node dissection among women undergoing radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph adenectomy for FIGO Stage IA2-IB2 cervical cancer using the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

METHODS

We identified patients with stage IA2-IB2 squamous cell, adenosquamous, or adenocarcinoma of the cervix diagnosed 2011-2014 in the NCDB. The primary outcome was the negative predictive value of histologically assessed pelvic lymph node status for para-aortic lymph node status among women undergoing pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection. We calculated probability of para-aortic lymph node metastasis conditional on pelvic lymph node status. Finally, we compared overall survival between patients undergoing para-aortic lymph node dissection and those in whom this procedure was omitted.

RESULTS

A total of 3212 patients met study inclusion criteria, of whom 994 (30.9%) underwent para-aortic lymph node dissection. In this group, the risk of isolated para-aortic metastasis was 0.11%. The negative predictive value of surgically assessed pelvic lymph nodes to predict para-aortic lymph node status was 99.9% (95% CI 99.9-99.9). Among 93 patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis, 18 (19.4%) had concurrent para-aortic lymph node metastasis. There was no difference in overall survival between women undergoing pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection compared with those undergoing pelvic lymphadenectomy only (p = 0.69).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients undergoing radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for stage IA2-IB2 cervical cancer, para-aortic lymph node dissection is not warranted based on the low risk of isolated metastatic disease, and lack of survival benefit associated with the procedure.

Selective biopsy of the sentinel node in cancer of cervix: Experience in validation phase

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was created to reduce the morbidity associated with pelvic lymphadenectomy in the early stages of cervical cancer (CC), preserving its prognostic information. The goal is to assess the diagnostic validity of SLNB in CC in initial stages (IA1 with lymphovascular infiltration (LVI) +, IA2, IB1 and IIA1), thus avoiding unnecessary lymphadenectomies in many of the cases.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

From January 2012 to April 2017, 23 patients with initial stages of CC were included in a cross-sectional study to evaluate the effectiveness of the SLNB in CC with a mixed technique of cervical injection of ^99mTc-nanocolloid of albumin and methylene blue, using combined planar lymphoscintigraphy with multimodality SPECT/CT image and subsequent removal of the sentinel node (SN) by laparoscopy.

RESULTS

The detection rate of SLNB with the mixed technique was 95.65%, with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 95.45% and sensitivity (S) of 100% in the case of bilateral drainage. The mean of excised SN was 3 (range 1-5). The bilateral detection rate in laparoscopy was 85.35%. The concordance between SPECT/CT and laparoscopy for the number and bilaterality of the SN using the Pearson coefficient was r = 0.727 and r = 0.833, respectively; p = 0.01. We only found one SN with a deferred result of micrometástasis and one false negative was detected.

CONCLUSIONS

SLNB in CC using a mixed technique has a high detection and bilateral drainage rate, but S is still low if we include cases of unilateral drainage. A greater number of cases and the development of intraoperative ultrastaging could increase the S of the technique and to reduce the number of false negatives.

The efficacy of sentinel lymph node mapping with indocyanine green in cervical cancer

Background

Lymph node metastasis is a significant predictive factor for disease recurrence and survival in cervical cancer patients. Given the importance of lymph node metastasis, it is imperative that patients harboring metastasis are identified and can undergo appropriate treatment. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping has drawn attention as a lymph node mapping technique. We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of (SLN) mapping using indocyanine green (ICG) in cervical cancer.

Methods

We performed a single-center, retrospective study of 103 surgically treated cervical cancer patients who underwent SLN mapping. After using ICG to detect SLN during surgery, we removed the SLNs followed by laparoscopic or robotic-assisted radical surgery and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy.

Results

Stage IB1 was the most common (61.17%). At least one SLN was detected in all cases. Eighty-eight patients (85.44%) had bilateral pelvic SLNs. The mean number of SLN per patient was 2.34. The side-specific sensitivity was 71.43%, the specificity was 100%, the negative predictive value (NPV) was 93.98%, and the false negative rate (FNR) was 28.57%. In cases of tumors smaller than 2 cm with negative lymph node metastasis on imaging, the study revealed a side-specific sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 100%, a NPV of 100%, and a FNR of 0%. Large tumor size (≥ 4 cm), a previous history of a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), depth of invasion (≥ 50%), the microscopic parametrial (PM) invasion, and vaginal extension were significantly associated with the false-negative detection of SLN. Moreover, the microscopic PM invasion was the only risk factor of the false-negative detection of SLN in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

SLN mapping with ICG in cervical cancer is feasible and has high detection rate. The sensitivity of 100% was high enough to perform SLN biopsy alone in an early stage in which the tumor is less than 2 cm, with no lymphadenopathy on image examination. However, for large or invasive tumors, we would have to be cautious about performing SLN biopsy alone.

Trial registration

Retrospectively registered 2017-0600.

Abdominal radical trachelectomy guided by sentinel lymph node biopsy for stage IB1 cervical cancer with tumors >2 cm

Accuracy of prediction of pelvic lymph node status using sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), and outcomes of SLNB-guided abdominal radical trachelectomy (ART) were assessed. Patients with stage IB1 (Figure 2009) cervical cancer and with tumors >2 cm were enrolled. Prior to fertility-sparing surgery 99mTc-labeled phytate was administered. SLNs were intraoperatively identified, excised, and assessed using fast-frozen sections. Systematic bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with or without para-aortic lymphadenectomy was subsequently undertaken. The SLN detection rate was 91.8% (45/49 patients); 8.2% (4/49) had radical hysterectomies because of metastatic primary SLNs. All SLNs received routine immunopathological examination to detect micrometastasis. Sensitivity, accuracy, and false negative rates were 100%, 100%, and 0%, respectively. ART was successfully completed in 45 patients (median follow-up, 61 [range, 4-149] months). Three of the 45 (6.7%) were lost to follow-up; two relapsed and one died of tumor progression. Overall 3-year survival and progression-free survival rates were 97.6% and 95.2%, respectively. Of the 19 patients who attempted to conceive after surgery, five achieved pregnancy, and one had a live birth in the third trimester. We concluded that SLNB using 99mTc-labeled phytate can accurately assess pelvic node status. SLNB-guided ART is safe and feasible in patients selected for fertility-sparing procedures.

Development and validation of a surgical-pathologic staging and scoring system for cervical cancer

Background

Most cervical cancer patients worldwide receive surgical treatments, and yet the current International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system do not consider surgical-pathologic data. We propose a more comprehensive and prognostically valuable surgical-pathologic staging and scoring system (SPSs).

Methods

Records from 4,220 eligible cervical cancer cases (Cohort 1) were screened for surgical-pathologic risk factors. We constructed a surgical-pathologic staging and SPSs, which was subsequently validated in a prospective study of 1,104 cervical cancer patients (Cohort 2).

Results

In Cohort 1, seven independent risk factors were associated with patient outcome: lymph node metastasis (LNM), parametrial involvement, histological type, grade, tumor size, stromal invasion, and lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI). The FIGO staging system was revised and expanded into a surgical-pathologic staging system by including additional criteria of LNM, stromal invasion, and LVSI. LNM was subdivided into three categories based on number and location of metastases. Inclusion of all seven prognostic risk factors improves practical applicability. Patients were stratified into three SPSs risk categories: zero-, low-, and high-score with scores of 0, 1 to 3, and ≥4 (P=1.08E-45; P=6.15E-55). In Cohort 2, 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) outcomes decreased with increased SPSs scores (P=9.04E-15; P=3.23E-16), validating the approach. Surgical-pathologic staging and SPSs show greater homogeneity and discriminatory utility than FIGO staging.

Conclusions

Surgical-pathologic staging and SPSs improve characterization of tumor severity and disease invasion, which may more accurately predict outcome and guide postoperative therapy.

Sentinel Lymph Nodes Mapping in Cervical Cancer a Comprehensive Review

Objective

A comprehensive literature search for more recent studies pertaining to sentinel lymph node mapping in the surveillance of cervical cancer to assess if sentinel lymph node mapping has sensitivity and specificity for evaluation of the disease; assessment of posttreatment response and disease recurrence in cervical cancer.

Materials and Methods

The literature review has been constructed on a step wise study design that includes 5 major steps. This includes search for relevant publications in various available databases, application of inclusion and exclusion criteria for the selection of relevant publications, assessment of quality of the studies included, extraction of the relevant data and coherent synthesis of the data.

Results

The search yielded numerous studies pertaining to sentinel lymph node mapping, especially on the recent trends, comparison between various modalities and evaluation of the technique. Evaluation studies have appraised high sensitivity, high negative predictive values and low false-negative rate for metastasis detection using sentinel lymph node mapping. Comparative studies have established that of all the modalities for sentinel lymph node mapping, indocyanine green sentinel lymph node mapping has higher overall and bilateral detection rates. Corroboration of the deductions of these studies further establishes that the sentinel node detection rate and sensitivity are strongly correlated to the method or technique of mapping and the history of preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Conclusions

The review takes us to the strong conclusion that sentinel lymph node mapping is an ideal technique for detection of sentinel lymph nodes in cervical cancer patients with excellent detection rates and high sensitivity. The review also takes us to the supposition that a routine clinical evaluation of sentinel lymph nodes is feasible and a real-time florescence mapping with indocyanine green dye gives better statistically significant overall and bilateral detection than methylene blue.

Application of carbon nanoparticles in laparoscopic sentinel lymph node detection in patients with early-stage cervical cancer

Objective

To investigate the value of carbon nanoparticles in identifying sentinel lymph nodes in early-stage cervical cancer.

Methods

From January 2014 to January 2016, 40 patients with cervical cancer stage IA2–IIA, based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 criteria, were included in this study. The normal cervix around the tumor was injected with a total of 1 mL of carbon nanoparticles (CNP)at 3 and 9 o'clock. All patients then underwent laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection and radical hysterectomy. The black-dyed sentinel lymph nodes were removed for routine pathological examination and immunohistochemical staining.

Results

Among the 40 patients, 38 patients had at least one sentinel lymph node (SLN). The detection rate was 95% (38/40). One hundred seventy-three SLNs were detected with an average of 3.9 SLNs per side. 25 positive lymph nodes, which included 21 positive SLNs, were detected in 8 (20%) patients. Sentinel lymph nodes were localized in the obturator (47.97%), internal lilac (13.87%), external lilac (26.59%), parametrial (1.16%), and common iliac (8.67%) regions. The sensitivity of the SLN detection was 100% (5/5), the accuracy was 97.37% (37/38), and the negative predictive value was 100. 0% and the false negative rate was 0%.

Conclusions

Sentinel lymph nodes can be used to accurately predict the pathological state of pelvic lymph nodes in early cervical cancer. The detection rates and accuracy of sentinel lymph node were high. Carbon nanoparticles can be used to trace the sentinel lymph node in early cervical cancer.

Sensitivity and negative predictive value for sentinel lymph node biopsy in women with early-stage cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

The role of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy alone for staging of early-stage cervical cancer remains controversial. We aimed to determine the validity of this technique in women with early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed women with early-stage cervical cancer who underwent SLN mapping followed by complete pelvic lymphadenectomy as part of initial surgical management from August 1997 through October 2015. All modes of surgical approach were included. Lymphatic mapping was performed using blue dye, technetium-99m sulfur colloid (Tc-99), and/or indocyanine green (ICG). We determined SLN detection rates, sensitivity and negative predictive value.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty-eight patients were included, and 35 (19%) had lymph node metastases. At least one SLN was identified in 170 patients (90%), and bilateral SLNs were identified in 117 patients (62%). The majority of SLNs (83%) were found in the pelvis. There was no difference in detection rates between mapping agents, surgical approach, patients with and without prior conization or between patients with tumors <2cm and ≥2cm. The detection rate for bilateral SLNs was significantly lower in women with body mass index (BMI)>30kg/m² than in women with lower BMI (p=0.03). Metastatic disease in sentinel nodes was detected by H&E staining in 78% of cases and required ultrastaging/immunohistochemistry in 22% of cases. Only one patient had a false-negative result, yielding a sensitivity of 96.4% (95% CI 79.8%-99.8%) and negative predictive value of 99.3% (95% CI 95.6%-100%). The false-negative rate was 3.6%.

CONCLUSIONS

In these women with early-stage cervical cancer, SLN biopsy had very high sensitivity and negative predictive value. We believe it is time to change the standard of care for women with early-stage cervical cancer to SLN biopsy only.

Fertility-sparing surgery for uterine cervical cancer

The standard treatment for early cervical cancer of the uterus (CC) is radical hysterectomy with resection of the parametrium and pelvic lymphadenectomy. At least 40% of patients develop early-stage CC during child-bearing age, therefore preserving the uterus to maintain fertility has been an important consideration. Several surgical procedures including conization and vaginal or abdominal radical trachelectomy have been reported. These procedures are safe for removing lymph node negative CC tumors with <2 cm diameter. Recently, less radical surgical procedures that maintain fertility, such as conization, simple trachelectomy, minimally invasive surgery and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, have been indicated for tumors greater than 2 cm in diameter. In this review, we discuss the currently accepted surgical approaches for treating CC while maintaining fertility.

Treatment of gynecological cancers diagnosed during pregnancy

Because of a notable increase in age at delivery, the incidence of malignancy diagnosed during pregnancy has substantially increased. This review aims to summarize the literature and expert knowledge on gynecologic cancers diagnosed in pregnancy regarding epidemiology, examination and staging procedures, description of treatment modalities and management of gynecological malignancies with special interest in cervical and ovarian cancer. Thorough attention is paid to the surgery and chemotherapy administration for early-stage cervical cancer diagnosed during pregnancy.

Sentinel lymph node detection rates using indocyanine green in women with early-stage cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

Our study objective was to determine feasibility and mapping rates using indocyanine green (ICG) for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping in early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of all women who underwent SLN mapping with ICG during primary surgical management of early-stage cervical cancer by robotic-assisted radical hysterectomy (RA-RH) or fertility-sparing surgery. Patients were treated at two high-volume centers from 10/2012 to 02/2016. Completion pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed after SLN biopsy; additionally, removal of clinically enlarged/suspicious nodes was part of the SLN treatment algorithm.

RESULTS

Thirty women with a median age of 42.5 and BMI of 26.5 were included. Most (90%) had stage IB disease, and 67% had squamous histology. RA-RH was performed in 86.7% of cases. One patient underwent fertility-sparing surgery. Median cervical tumor size was 2.0cm. At least one SLN was detected in all cases (100%), with bilateral mapping achieved in 87%. SLN detection was not impacted by tumor size and was most commonly identified in the hypogastric (40.3%), obturator (26.0%), and external iliac (20.8%) regions. Five cases of lymphatic metastasis were identified (16.7%): three in clinically enlarged SLNs, one in a clinically enlarged non-SLN, and one case with cytokeratin positive cells in an SLN. All metastatic disease would have been detected even if full lymphadenectomy had been omitted from our treatment algorithm, CONCLUSIONS: SLN mapping with ICG is feasible and results in high detection rates in women with early-stage cervical cancer. Prospective studies are needed to determine if SLN mapping can replace lymphadenectomy in this setting.

First Robotic SPECT for Minimally Invasive Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping

In this paper we present the usage of a drop-in gamma probe for intra-operative Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging in the scope of minimally invasive robot-assisted interventions. The probe is designed to be inserted and reside inside the abdominal cavity during the intervention. It is grasped during the procedure using a robotic laparoscopic gripper enabling full six degrees of freedom handling by the surgeon. We demonstrate the first deployment of the tracked probe for intra-operative in-patient robotic SPECT enabling augmented-reality image guidance. The hybrid mechanical- and image-based in-patient probe tracking is shown to have an accuracy of 0.2 mm. The overall system performance is evaluated and tested with a phantom for gynecological sentinel lymph node interventions and compared to ground-truth data yielding a mean reconstruction accuracy of 0.67 mm.

A Comparison of Radiocolloid and Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging, Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Patients with Cervical Cancer Undergoing Laparoscopic Surgery

Background and Purpose

⁹⁹TC combined with blue-dye mapping is considered the best sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping technique in cervical cancer. Indocyanine green (ICG) with near infrared fluorescence imaging has been introduced as a new methodology for SLN mapping. The aim of this study was to compare these two techniques in the laparoscopic treatment of cervical cancer.

Methods

Medical records of patients undergoing laparoscopic SLN mapping for cervical cancer with either ⁹⁹Tc and patent blue dye (Group 1) or ICG (Group 2) from April 2008 until August 2012 were reviewed. Sensitivity, specificity, and overall and bilateral detection rates were calculated and compared.

Results

Fifty-eight patients were included in the study—36 patients in Group 1 and 22 patients in Group 2. Median tumor diameter was 25 and 29 mm, and mean SLN count was 2.1 and 3.7, for Groups 1 and 2, respectively. Mean non-SLN (NSLN) count was 39 for both groups. SLNs were ninefold more likely to be affected by metastatic disease compared with NSLNs (p < 0.005). Sensitivity and specificity were both 100 %. Overall detection rates were 83 and 95.5 % (p = nonsignificant), and bilateral detection rates were 61 and 95.5 % (p < 0.005), for Groups 1 and 2, respectively. In 75 % of cases, SLNs were located along the external or internal iliac nodal basins.

Conclusions

ICG SLN mapping in cervical cancer provides high overall and bilateral detection rates that compare favorably with the current standard of care.

Sentinel lymph node procedure in endometrial cancer: A systematic review and proposal for standardization of future research

OBJECTIVES

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure could be an attractive solution to the debate on lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer; however challenges to interpreting the literature include marked heterogeneity across studies, a wide variety of injection techniques and a lack of uniformly accepted definitions for important outcomes. We aim to critically appraise the published literature and streamline terminology and methodology for future studies in this field.

METHODS

We conducted a PubMed search and included all original research of endometrial cancer patients having undergone SLN procedure with an n>30. Data collected included injection technique, unilateral, bilateral, and para-aortic detection rates, and ultrastaging results. When different definitions were used for reporting outcomes, we recalculated the original study results according to our proposed definitions. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies met our inclusion criteria. Injection sites were categorized into cervical versus corporeal. Overall detection rates ranged from 60 to 100%; studies with n>100 all had overall detection rates of >80%. Bilateral detection rates were higher with a combination of two injection agents. Para-aortic mapping was most frequent after corporeal injection techniques (39%), and was higher after deep vs. standard cervical injection (17% vs. 2%). The proportion of metastatic lymph nodes diagnosed through ultrastaging was high (around 40%) and ultrastaging of SLN upstaged approximately 5% of patients. Retrospectively applying a surgical algorithm revealed a sensitivity of 95%, a negative predictive value of 99%, and a false negative rate of 5% (with only 9 false negative cases remaining in total).

CONCLUSION

Results of SLN research for endometrial cancer are promising. We believe that in future studies, uniform reporting is needed to improve our understanding of the safety and feasibility of SLN in EC. We propose 2 strategies: a checklist of elements to include in future reports and the standardization of key definitions.

The role of trachelectomy in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. Because it often affects women of childbearing age (19–45 years), fertility-sparing surgery is an important issue. The article reviews current viable fertility-sparing options with a special focus on trachelectomy, including vaginal radical trachelectomy, abdominal radical trachelectomy and simple trachelectomy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is also discussed. Finally, the decision to proceed with fertility-sparing treatment should be a patient-driven process.