BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different tracers´ application techniques for sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection in women with endometrial cancer undergoing laparotomy. Additionally, potential risk factors for SLN detection failure were assessed. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 248 endometrial cancer patients who underwent abdominal surgery with SLN mapping between January 2020 and March 2024. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and either Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Group I + S consisted of 147 women with intracervical and subserosal tracers´application and group I + I included 101 women with intracervical and intrafundal application. Successful detection of SLN on both sides was achieved in 39.9% (99/248) of all patients, in 38.1% (56/147) in the I + S group and in 42.6% (43/101) in the I + I group, respectively. SLNs were identified in 32.7% (81/248) of all patients on only one side of the pelvis, in 31.3% (46/147) in the I + S and in 34.7% (35/101) in the I + I group, respectively. No SLNs were detected in 27.4% (68/248) of all subjects, comprising 30.6% (45/147) from the I + S and 22.8% (23/101) from the I + I group. Although the success rate of SLN detection was higher in the I + I group and on the right side of the pelvis regardless of the detection method, these differences were not statistically significant. An age exceeding 66.3 years was recognized as a critical risk factor for successful detection, other followed factors did not demonstrate a statistically significant impact on overall detection success. Additional significant risk factors were identified: depth of tumor myometrial invasion on the right side, history of pelvic surgery, and total tumor volume on the left side. CONCLUSIONS: The study did not reveal significant differences in SLN mapping success between the groups receiving intracervical + intrafundal and intracervical + subserosal tracers´applications among endometrial cancer patients treated via open surgery. Overall, older age emerged as the most critical risk factor for SLN detection failure, while other assessed factors did not show a statistically significant impact on overall detection success. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Institution University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic. REGISTRATION NUMBER: EK-VP-21-0-2023. Date of registration 7-JUN-2023. This study was retrospectively registered in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

• Keywords
• Detection failure, Detection success, Endometrial cancer, Laparotomy, Risk factors, Sentinel lymph node, Tracer application,
• MeSH
• Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy * methods   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Lymphatic Metastasis MeSH
• Endometrial Neoplasms * surgery   pathology   MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Sentinel Lymph Node * pathology   diagnostic imaging   surgery   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH

BACKGROUND: Models predicting recurrence risk (RR) of cervical cancer are used to tailor adjuvant treatment after radical surgery. The goal of our study was to compare available prognostic factors and to develop a prognostic model that would be easy to standardise and use in routine clinical practice. METHODS: All consecutive patients with early-stage cervical cancer treated by primary surgery in a single referral centre (01/2007-12/2016) were eligible if assessed by standardised protocols for pre-operative imaging and pathology. Fifteen prognostic markers were evaluated in 379 patients, out of which 320 lymph node (LN)-negative. RESULTS: The best predictive model for the whole cohort entailed a combination of tumour-free distance (TFD) ≤ 3.5 mm and LN positivity, which separated two subgroups with a substantially distinct RR 36% and 6.5%, respectively. In LN-negative patients, a combination of TFD ≤ 3.5 mm and adenosquamous tumour type separated a group of nine patients with RR 33% from the rest of the group with 6% RR. CONCLUSIONS: A newly identified prognostic marker, TFD, surpassed all traditional tumour-related markers in the RR assessment. Predictive models combining TFD, which can be easily accessed on pre-operative imaging, with LN status or tumour type can be used in daily practice and can help to identify patients with the highest RR.

• MeSH
• Adenocarcinoma pathology   surgery   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Hysterectomy MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local pathology   surgery   MeSH
• Lymph Nodes pathology   surgery   MeSH
• Survival Rate MeSH
• Uterine Cervical Neoplasms pathology   surgery   MeSH
• Follow-Up Studies MeSH
• Prognosis MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell pathology   surgery   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

The data on the prognostic significance of low volume metastases in lymph nodes (LN) are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the outcome of a large group of patients treated with sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy at a single referral center. Patients with cervical cancer, stage T1a-T2b, common tumor types, negative LN on preoperative staging, treated by primary surgery between 01/2007 and 12/2016, with at least unilateral SLN detection were included. Patients with abandoned radical surgery due to intraoperative SLN positivity detected by frozen section were excluded. All SLNs were postoperatively processed by an intensive protocol for pathological ultrastaging. Altogether, 226 patients were analyzed. Positive LN were detected in 38 (17%) cases; macrometastases (MAC), micrometastases (MIC), isolated tumor cells (ITC) in 14, 16, and 8 patients. With the median follow-up of 65 months, 22 recurrences occurred. Disease-free survival (DFS) reached 90% in the whole group, 93% in LN-negative cases, 89% in cases with MAC, 69% with MIC, and 87% with ITC. The presence of MIC in SLN was associated with significantly decreased DFS and OS. Patients with MIC and MAC should be managed similarly, and SLN ultrastaging should become an integral part of the management of patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

• Keywords
• cervical cancer, isolated tumor cells, micrometastasis, pathological ultrastaging, prognostic parameters, risk of recurrence, sentinel lymph node,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH