Article Text
Abstract
Introduction/Background*The impact of lymph node (LN) micrometastases (MIC) in cervical cancer patients remains a controversial topic given their low incidence and good prognosis of patients managed by primary surgery.
We aim to evaluate the prognostic significance of MIC and isolated tumour cells (ITC) in a large cohort of patients from the SCCAN retrospetive study (Surveillance in Cervical CANcer). SCCAN study analysed data from more than 4300 patients with early stage cervical cancer treated by primary surgery at 20 large tertiary institutions from Europe, North America, South America and Australia.
Methodology In this SCCAN sub-study, we included patients with early stage cervical cancer (T1a1 LVSI+ – T2b) treated between 2007 and 2016 with at least 1-year follow-up data availability, who underwent primary surgery including sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy and in whom SLNs were processed by pathological ultrastaging protocol.
Result(s)*Out of 969 included patients with at least 1 SLN detected, 174 (18%) had positive LN (table 1). Maximal tumour diameter >2cm, positive LVSI, grade ≥ 2, uncommon histological type (neuroendocrine, sarcoma, etc.) and macrometstasis (MAC) or MIC in LN were factors associated with significantly decreased five-years disease free survival (DFS) (table 2). MAC, MIC or ITC was the largest LN metastasis in 84 (9%), 59 (6%) and 31 (3%) cases respectively. Adjuvant (chemo)radiation was administred in 89%, 85% and 58% of patients with MAC, MIC and ITC. DFS reached 75%, 73% and 83% in patients with MAC, MIC and ITC compared with 90% in the N0 patients. Patients with MAC and MIC had significantly decreased DFS than those with N0 disease (HR=2.36 and 2.55).
Conclusion*Early-stage cervical cancer patients with MIC in pelvic LN have significantly decreased DFS. Their management should follow the same principles as in patients with MAC.