Thinking about lymphadenectomy for gynecological malignant tumor / 中国医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Lymph node metastasis represents a common way of distant spread of gynecologic malignancies and an independent risk factor of poor prognosis of patients. The pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy is a critical part of the surgical treatment of gynecologic cancer, which potentially improves the survival outcomes of patients through clarifying the node status to guide the subsequent management and/or removal of positive nodes to reduce the tumor burden. However, when we make a decision about lymphadenectomy, we should balance the related survival benefits and morbidities impacting the long-term quality of life. It is noteworthy that the principles of lymph node management are varied between different types and different stages of tumors characterized with different clinical features. Moreover, the sentinel lymph node biopsy, which has been emerging as a promising alternative to traditional systematic lymph node dissection, provides new options while bringing new issues. Here, based on the latest progress in relevant fields, we attempt to figure out the distinct features and unanswered questions in the management of lymph nodes of patients with cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer, which may trigger meaningful thoughts regarding related clinical decision.