[Lymph node dissection in the surgical management of stage I endometrial carcinomas]

The indication and extent of lymph node dissection in the surgical management of endometrial cancers remain highly controversial. Randomized studies are badly needed but will probably lack for the next years, considering the large sample size required to show a small difference in survival. The trend towards a reduction in the routine use of external radiation therapy weakens the argument that radiation therapy makes adequate lymph node dissection useless. The balance stays between the risk for node involvement and the expected complications rate of the procedure. Lymph node dissection is advised whenever there is a non-negligible risk of node metastasis in a patient at low surgical risk.