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Objectives: To assess the significance of pathologic ultrastaging (PU) of sentinel (SLN) and non-sentinel (nSLN) lymph nodes (LNs) and the influence on cancer staging in patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IA2-IB1 cervical cancer., Material and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted with 54 patients divided into two equal-sized groups. In test group (n1), at least one SLN/patient was detected with blue dye. All excised LNs in this group were subjected to PU (4 μm slices/150 μm intervals) with hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry (AE1-AE3 antibodies). In none of the control group (n2) was PU performed, but in 2 patients SLN concept was performed. Patients in both groups underwent radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. The effect of PU was expressed in puTNM and compared with both standard pTNM and FIGO systems. The influence of PU on patients' disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves., Results: In total, 516 LNs were extracted (66 SLNs, 36% bilaterally). Micrometastases (MIC) or isolated tumor cells (ITC) were detected in 34 of the 482 LNs (7.1%), including 16 MICs and 9 ITC in non-SLNs. False negative rates were: 3.7%/side-specific, and 7.4%/both sides. The use of PU resulted in stage change in 2 cases (N and M status change), FIGO stage did not changed. No PU impact on DFS or OS was observed., Conclusions: The risk of TNM stage migration in early cervical cancer is low, is more likely in inattentively evaluated patients, and has indeterminate prognostic and predictive value. Selection of cases with cT ≤ 2 cm and cN0 is sufficient to avoid the risk of improper staging.

Objectives: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) can identify patients with nodal metastases who are eligible for tailored treatment. The aim of study was to compare the SLN detection rates using cervical and subserosal administration of 2 tracers., Results: In group 1 (82 patients), SLNB was performed using radiocolloid injected to the cervix and blue dye administered to the fundus. In group 2, blue dye was injected to cervix and fundus (106 patients). Only SLNB was performed in 128 (68.1%) women. In the remaining 60 (31.9%) patients, pelvic/para-aortic lymphadenectomy together with SLNB was performed. Groups 1 and 2 did not differ with regard to the frequencies of SLNB and lymphadenectomy. The detection rate for both groups was 90.9%. Bilateral detection was achieved in 72.5%. Para-aortic SLNs were found in 9.6%. Detection rates in groups 1 and 2 were 95.1% and 87.7% (P = 0.065). In comparison of cervical administration of radioisotope and subserosal injection of blue dye in group 1, we found a significant difference for total SLN detection (91.5% vs 74.4%, P < 0.05) and no significant difference for bilateral detection (73.3% vs 59.1%, P = 0.776). We did not find differences in the para-aortic SLN detection rates achieved after administration of a radiotracer and injection of a blue dye (4.9% vs 9.8%, P = 0.184). Eighteen patients (9.6%) presented with nodal disease, including 15 women with SLN involvement. The false-negative rate, calculated for patients subjected to lymphadenectomy, was 12.5% (1/8); using the SLNB surgical algorithm, it was 10% (1/10)., Conclusions: Cervical administration of a tracer, especially radioisotope, results in high SLN detection rates. In turn, the subserosal injection can be used only as an adjuvant method for SLNB. Low para-aortic SLN detection rates observed after cervical administration of a tracer do not seem to be a serious limitation of this technique.

Background: Detection of micrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) extends our knowledge of lymphatic spread in endometrial cancer, although its clinical significance has not yet been confirmed., Objectives: The aim of study was to determine the incidence of SLN micrometastases and to analyze the association between micrometastases and disease relapse., Material and Methods: Fifty-four patients with endometrioid endometrial cancer underwent routine surgical therapy and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). SLNB was performed using two techniques: cervical injection of 99mTc-labelled albumin or blue dye and fundal injection of blue dye. SLNs were subjected to ultrastaging with immunohistochemistry (AE1/AE3, 150µm)., Results: At least one SLN was detected in 51 patients (94.4%) and bilateral SLN detection was achieved in 80.4%. Nodal macrometastases were found in 3 patients (6.3%). SLNB enabled us to detect nodal macrometastases in 2 out of those 3 patients. In the third case, detection of SLN micrometastasis allowed to correctly determine the nodal status, thus avoiding the false negative result of SLNB. In 48 patients with detected 184 SLNs, there were 4 patients (8.3%) with micrometastases and 4 (8.3%) with ITC foci. No significant associations between the presence of risk factors (grade, myometrial invasion, cervical invasion, lymphovascular space invasion) and incidence of micrometastases and/or ITC foci in SLNs were found., Conclusions: Detection of micrometastases may result in lower false-negative rate, thus increasing SLNB safety.

Background: Lymph node (LN) micrometastatic disease has come to prominence since ultrastaging was shown to improve the quality of LN procedures in epithelial cancers. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic usefulness of detecting micrometastases in sentinel (SLN) and non-sentinel LNs (nSLN) in cervical cancer, Material and Methods: Twelve consecutive patients with cervical cancer stages IA to IIA, classified according to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and divided into two groups: A (7) and B (5), with and without SLN procedure with methylene blue dye, who underwent radical hysterectomy and lymph nodes removal, were recruited for the study. All LNs were evaluated in hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemically (IHC) in ultrastaging with anti-cytokeratin AE1/AE3 antibodies. A detailed analysis was performed with regard to the technical and histopathological aspects of the procedure., Results: More LNs could be extracted and studied in group A as compared to group B (210 vs. 70, mean 30 vs. 14, respectively p < 0.0005). A total of 13 SLNs were extracted, and the identification rate was 71% (5/7 in group A). One micrometastatic LN was found in each of the groups (16% cases), but the preliminary classification of the advancement stage was changed only in 1 case from the labeled nodes group (group A--from pN0 with HE to pN1 with IHC)., Conclusions: Presence or absence of metastases in SLN(s) should not be sufficient amount of information for a surgeon or an oncologist, who ought to have data about all of the removed lymph nodes (sent to ultrastaging). In order for the surgery to be performed properly it is vital to ensure that SLNs were removed. Assessment of the N status ought to be taken into consideration in the classification according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).

We report the use of SPECT/CT in sentinel lymph node biopsy in endometrial cancer. The patient was a 54-year-old woman with the diagnosis of endometrial adnenocarcinoma, grade 2. Preoperative MRI and transvaginal ultrasound scans revealed tumor infiltrating more than 50% of the myometrium. The patient was qualified for total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic/paraaortic lymphadenectomy. Before the surgery, 2 cervical injections of the (99m)Tc-labeled nanocolloid (0.5 mCi) were administered and the SPECT/CT was performed using a standard dual-head gamma camera and a 6-slice spiral CT component.

Background: In vulvar cancer, in a large portion of patients with early stages of the disease, the inguinal lymphadenectomy not only does not influence the overall survival and recurrence rate but may increase the incidence of complications. Sentinel lymph node (SN) detection is a promising technique for detecting groin lymph nodes, which may in future lead to less extensive use of surgical treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of the sentinel node detection technique in patients with vulvar cancer., Material and Methods: Between the years 2003 and 2005, we performed intraoperative lymphatic mapping on 10 patients with planoepithelial vulvar cancer. In eight cases, vulvar lesion was localized centrally, around the clitoris. The extent of the surgery included radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy in nine cases and unilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy in one case. For the lymphatic mapping, we employed two detection methods: (99m)Tc-labelled radiocolloid (activity 35-70 MBq) and blue dye (3-5 ml). Both techniques were used in six cases (60%), blue dye only in three cases and radiocolloid only in one case., Results: In each patient, we detected at least one sentinel lymph node. Sentinel nodes were localized in 14 of 19 operated groins (73.7%); a total of 25 SNs in all. The mean number of SNs for one groin was 1.78. Nodal metastases were found in four cases. In three cases, metastases were detected only in the SN. In one patient, two SNs with metastases were found in one groin and in the contralateral groin (without any SN) there was one unchanged node, which transpired to be metastatic. This can be explained by a complete overgrowth of neoplasm in the lymph node resulting in lymph flow stasis and disabling tracer uptake. In five cases, an SN was found only in one groin ó the first case is described above, in the second case the vulvar tumor was localized laterally, opposite to the groin without any SN. In the remaining three cases, we have used only one method of SN detection., Conclusions: Lymphatic mapping in vulvar cancer based on the combined detection technique is a highly accurate method after adequate training of the surgeons.

Background: Radical hysterectomy has traditionally been the treatment of choice for early invasive cervical carcinoma. Validation of the sentinel lymph node concept in gynaecology has led to less radical surgery. If preservation of fertility is an issue, then radical trachelectomy is an accepted approach., Case Report: A 29-year-old female presented with stage IB1 cervical cancer was treated by radical vaginal trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy as definitive treatment. Two obturator nodes visualised on lymphoscintigraphy and one parametrial not visualized on lymphoscintigraphy were "hot" and blue during surgery, and identified as sentinel nodes. All 18 nodes were non-metastatic., Conclusion: Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy is a useful tool in the preoperative localisation of sentinel lymph nodes, and should be undertaken in cases of early invasive cervical carcinoma where a radical trachelectomy is performed to preserve fertility.

Background: Regional lymph node surgical management is an integral part of cervical cancer therapy. In gynaecological oncology, recent studies have confirmed the utility of the sentinel node concept in vulvar and cervical cancer. The method of the marker's administration is considered to play an important role in sentinel node detection., Material and Methods: 60 patients with cervical cancer (stage IB-IIA) underwent SLN detection during radical abdominal hysterectomy. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: the first group of 30 patients with 0.5-1cm deep marker injection, the second with sub-epithelial marker injection. Gamma-camera scanning, as well as hand-held probe detection was applied., Results: All hot nodes visualised on lymphoscintigraphy were "hot" when using the hand-held gamma probe. Deep marker injection revealed a sentinel node in 27 patients (90%) on both sides, in 3 patients (10%) only on one side. Only 40 (67%) sentinel nodes were blue-stained. Sub-epithelial marker administration revealed a sentinel node on both sides in all 30 patients (100%). In 28 patients (93.3%) the sentinel nodes were radioactive and blue-stained, in one case not-blue stained on either side, in one case blue stained only on one side., Conclusions: The sentinel node detection rate in cervical cancer is relatively high and depends on the applied technique. The superficial administration of radiocolloid and the blue dye into the cervix provides a higher sentinel node detection rate than deep administration in cervical cancer patients.

An abstract of the research paper "The ultrasound-measured tumor-free distance ( uTDF) is a valuable predictor of lymph node status in endometrial cancer" by M. Liro and colleagues, presented at the 24th World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, is presented.