Comparison Study of Laparoscopic Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Endometrial Carcinoma Using Carbon Nanoparticles and Lymphatic Pathway Verification

ABSTRACT Study Objective To evaluate the detection rate and accuracy of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping using cervical and fundal injections of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) in laparoscopic surgery of endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC) and to identify uterine lymphatic drainage pathways validated by mapping. Design A prospective consecutive study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting An academic research center. Patients Consecutive patients with a pathologic diagnosis of early - stage EC scheduled for primary laparoscopic-assisted staging surgery (laparoscopic hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, or comprehensive lymphadenectomy). Interventions Enrolled patients underwent laparoscopic SLN mapping with a 50-mg CNP tracer injection. Fifty patients received fundal subserosal injections at 4 sites (the fundal group), whereas 65 patients received cervical submucosal injections at 2 sites (the cervical group). After SLN mapping, all patients underwent laparoscopic staging surgery. Measurements and Main Results No allergic reactions to CNPs were observed in either group. The overall SLN detection rates were 100% and 92% in the cervical and fundal groups, and the bilateral SLN detection rates were 97% and 68% (p Conclusion SLN mapping by CNPs in laparoscopic surgery for EC is a safe and effective alternative, with a higher detection rate and better accuracy with cervical injections than fundal injections. The upper paracervical pathway was the most common lymphatic pathway, whereas the infundibulopelvic pathway was only displayed in fundal injections.