Status in patients with endometrial cancer stage I-II
A team of researchers led by Dr Irina Tripac from the Department of Gynaecology, Polivalent Hospital, Novamed, Chișinău 2038, Moldova, in collaboration with GYNOCARE COST members from Albania, Romania and Malta, have recently published a scientific paper on the status of the sentinel lymph node in patients with endometrial cancer stage I-II.
Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological cancer in developed countries. In literature, there are discordant data regarding the therapeutic value of systematic lymphadenectomy whereas the importance of lymph node status for determining prognosis and the need for adjuvant treatment is undoubted. Given the low risk of lymph node metastases in stage I-II of EC and the significant surgical and postoperative risks when performing a complete pelvic lymphadenectomy, the surgical approach in these patients is controversial, ranging from no nodal evaluation to comprehensive pelvic and aortic lymphadenectomy. The recent introduction of sentinel node detection represents the mid-way between the execution and omission of node dissection in EC patients. Indeed, the sentinel node mapping has rapidly emerged as an alternative to complete lymphadenectomy to reduce morbidity. In the present research, we discuss the role of sentinel node mapping in the surgical management of EC in early stage. Results of study on SLN in EC in early stages seem to be promising, but only a small series have been published so far.
Click here to read the full text of this scientific paper.
This research publication was the result of the fruitful collaborative work among different members of the GYNOCARE COST Action. Dr Irina Tripac also presented 2 abstracts at the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) meeting in Berlin n October 2022.