Laparoscopic sentinel node procedure for cervical cancer: impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

SN detection based on combined blue dye and radiocolloid labeling can reliably show lymph node status in cervical cancer, but the influence of prior neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy has not yet been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on the accuracy of a dual-labeling laparoscopic sentinel node (SN) procedure in patients with cervical cancer.

Between July 2001 and June 2003, 26 patients (mean age, 50.3 years) with cervical cancer underwent a laparoscopic SN procedure based on dual labeling with patent blue and radiocolloid. After the SN procedure, all the patients underwent complete laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy and laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (n=19), the Schauta-Amreich operation (n=5), or trachelectomy (n=2). The results of the SN procedure were compared between 11 patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and 15 patients who did not receive neoadjuvant treatment.

The SN identification rates were 100% in the 11 patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and 93.3% in the 15 patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy. A total of 59 SNs were removed. Eight SNs (13.6%) from five patients (19.2%) were found to be metastatic at the final histological assessment. Three SN involvements were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining of the SN. Immunohistochemical studies identified five metastatic SNs in three patients. There were no false-negative SN results.

This study suggests that SN detection with a combination of radiocolloid and patent blue is feasible and accurate in patients with cervical cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy or primary surgery. The combination of laparoscopy and the SN procedure permits minimally invasive management of cervical cancer.