A retrospective analysis of the diameter of metastatic lymph nodes in apparently early stage endometrial cancer

ABSTRACT Aims and background. Theobjectiveofthisretrospectivestudywastoassessthedi-ameterofmetastaticlymphnodesinapopulationofwomenwithapparentlyearlystageendometrialcanceratlaparotomy.Methods and study design. Among700caseswithendometrialcancer,27caseswithdiseaseclinicallylimitedtotheuterusinthelaparotomyandfoundtohaveretroperi-toneal node metastasis after pathologic examination were included in this study.Pathologiccharacteristicsofthetumors,pelvicandpara -aorticnodecountsandthelargestdiameterofeachmetastaticnodewereevaluated.Results.Themediannumberofnodesremovedwas38;mediannumberofpelvicandpara -aorticnodeswas29and8,respectively.Atotalof85metastaticnodeswereiden -tified.Meandiameterofthemetastaticpara-aorticandpelvicnodeswas6.8mmand9mm,respectively.Ninepatientshadsinglemetastaticnodes,andthediametersofthesinglemetastaticpara-aorticlymphnodewas1mminonecase,2mminonecase,3mminonecaseand4mminone,and5mmintwopatients.Twocaseshadisolatedpara -aorticlymphnodemetastasiswithoutpelviclymphnodemetastasis.Diametersofthemetastaticpara -aorticlymphnodeswere4and5mminonecaseand4mmintheothercase.Conclusions. Thediametersofmetastaticnodesmaybeassmallas1mm.Bysam -plingorselectivepara -aorticand/orpelviclymphadenectomy,someofthenodesmightgoundiagnosed,andsuchunderstagedcasescannottakeadjuvanttherapy(chemotherapy-radiotherapy).Forcorrectstagingofcaseswithendometrialcancer,completesystematicpara -aorticand/orpelviclymphadenectomymightbeappro -priate.IntroductionEndometrialcanceristhemostcommongynecologicmalignancyandaccountsfor6%ofallcancersinwomen.Itisahighlycurabletumor.Mostofthepatientsdiag -nosedwithendometrialcancerhavethediseaseclinicallylimitedtotheuterus,andthe5 -yearsurvivalrateisover80%