The effectiveness of obligatory lymphadenectomy in treating carcinoma of the cervix

For the past 20 years, obligatory lymphadenectomy has been performed with the Wertheim's operation for carcinoma of the cervix at the First University Women's Clinic in Vienna. Formerly, selective lymphadenectomy was performed with the radical operation, with only nodes suspected of metastasis being removed. The theoretical advantages and disadvantages of each system are discussed, and several previous reports are analyzed and criticized. Our experience at the First University Women's Clinic shows that rates of mortality from recurrence were higher for a group of patients who underwent selective lymphadenectomy from 1946 to 1949 than for two more recent series who were treated with obligatory lymphadenectomy. Thus, the effectiveness of performing the latter procedure with the Wertheim's operation to reduce mortality from recurrence is confirmed.