Promising results using sentinel node biopsy as a substitute for radical lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer staging.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the sentinel node (SN) procedure in endometrial cancer patients.This was a prospective follow-up study including patients referred to Herlev Hospital, Denmark, to be treated for endometrial cancer in the period from October 2005 to December 2008. Hysteroscopy was performed with a 4.5 mm hysteroscope. Injections of 100-150 MBq (99m)Tc-traced colloid were administered subendometrially, and a dynamic scintigram was made. SN(s) identified with a gammaprobe were resected at the operation, and frozen sections were performed, followed by radical pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy.A total of 32 patients were included. Among patients without clinical macro-metastases (n = 27), the SNs were detected by gamma probe in 23 (85.2%), and in most patients (n = 17, 74.0%) one (n = 12) or two (n = 5) SNs were found. The consistency between the scintigram and peroperative findings increased from 50.0% to 78.9% when the dose of (99m)Tc was increased to 150 MBq, mostly because the detection failure rate was lower at the higher dose: 4.8% versus 18.2%. By frozen section all macro-metastases were confirmed, but only one micro-metastasis was diagnosed. All subsequent lymph node metastases found in the final histology were found in SNs, i.e. no false negative SNs were found.The SN procedure can be used for endometrial cancer and it has a high detection rate and no false negative SNs were detected. The sensitivity of the SN procedure may be increased by the use of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) and peroperative cytokeratin (CK) staining of the SN(s).External funding was received from the following University Foundation, Copenhagen County Research, Manufacturer Einar Willumsen's Memorial Foundation, Toyota Foundation Denmark, Lilly Benthine Lund Foundation.The study was registered with the Danish Data Protection Agency.