Objective: The presence of nodal metastases is an important prognostic factor in patients with cervical cancer. To adjust our therapy to the anatomic extent of the disease, we performed a surgical staging with extraperitoneal lymph node dissection (EPLND). The goal of our study was to evaluate the clinical outcome and side effects of the combined treatment approach of EPLND and either radical hysterectomy in case of early stage cervical cancer (FIGO Ia/b and IIa) and negative nodes, or pelvic radiotherapy/extended field radiotherapy with concomitant chemotherapy in case of positive nodes or advanced stage cervical cancer (FIGO IIb, III, and IVa).
Patients and methods: Fifty-nine patients with primarily diagnosed invasive cervical cancer underwent EPLND. The value of this procedure as a diagnostic tool for evaluating the extent of disease was determined. Additionally, treatment-related complications and clinical outcomes were monitored.
Results: A total of 983 lymph nodes were removed during EPLND (mean 16.7). According to the results of EPLND, radical hysterectomy was abandoned due to histopathologically confirmed lymph node involvement by frozen section in 11 out of 36 patients with early stage cervical cancer (31%). The most common adverse effects directly related to surgery in general (EPLND or combined EPLND and radical hysterectomy) were lymph cysts in seven patients (12%). Only in the group of patients who received EPLND followed by radical hysterectomy, 2 out of 25 patients (8%) developed a severe ileus postoperatively (WHO Grade 3 toxicity). The treatment approach of combined EPLND followed by radio- and chemotherapy was without major complications (WHO Grade 3 or 4 toxicity). After a mean follow up of 28 months (range 6-60), 44 out of 58 patients (one patient lost to follow up) are without evidence of disease (76%), 2 patients have progressive disease (3%), and 12 patients died of their disease (21%). Using Kaplan-Meier analysis, the estimated 5-year overall survival rate for all patients is 64% (SD +/- 9%). Performing the Cox proportional regression analysis, in contrast to clinical FIGO staging (P = 0.24; ns), lymph node involvement was the only significant independent predictor for overall survival (P = 0.04).
Conclusion: Our data support the approach of pretherapeutic surgical staging by performing EPLND as a diagnostic tool with a low complication rate. This allows an individualized treatment for cervical cancer patients.