[Optimization of the extent of surgery in organ- preserving treatment for invasive cervical cancer (the role of sentinel lymph nodes study)].

The study included 44 patients with Stage Ia1 - lb1 cervi- cal cancer who underwent organ-preserving surgery (transab- dominal trachelectomy). To visualize sentinel lymph nodes - lymphoscintigraphy with injection of radioactive lymphotropic isotope - (99m)Tc-labelled nanocolloid was injected a day before surgery. Intraoperative identification of sentinel lymph nodes using gamma probe was carried out to assess, which lymph nodes had taken up the radionuclide. Detection of sentinel lymph nodes in cervical cancer patients could accurately predict the pelvic lymph node status, assess the stage of the dis- ease, individualize the extent of surgery and determine indica- tions for organ-preserving surgery.