Efficacy of sentinel lymph node mapping in endometrial cancer with low- or high-intermediate risk

This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping using indocyanine green (ICG) in Chinese women with endometrial cancer (EC).

Consecutive EC patients undergoing SLN mapping at Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University were retrospectively reviewed. Overall and bilateral SLN detection rates and SLN locations were presented. Sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV), and agreement rate were calculated and were compared between patients with low-intermediate (LIR) or high-intermediate risk (HIR).

There were 454 patients screened, with SLN mapping with ICG performed in 428 patients and systematic lymphadenectomy performed in 159 patients. Overall and bilateral SLN detection rates were 96.50% and 82.71%, respectively. The sensitivity of SLN mapping was 80.00%, and the NPV was 97.76%. SLNs were most commonly located in obturator and external iliac regions. Efficacy of SLN mapping was higher in LIR patients than in HIR patients, with sensitivities of 100.00% and 75.00% (p > 0.05), NPVs of 100.00% and 90.00% (p = 0.002), and agreement rates of 100.00% and 92.31% (p = 0.007), respectively.

SLN mapping with ICG had acceptable diagnostic efficacy in Chinese women with EC, but may cause more missed diagnoses in patients with HIR due to relatively low NPV and agreement rate.