Comparing Surgical and Oncological Outcomes between Indocyanine Green (ICG) Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping with Routine Lymphadenectomy in the Surgical Staging of Early-Stage Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer

Abstract

Introduction and Aim. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping has been developed as an alternative to complete lymphadenectomy for the surgical staging of early-stage, uterine-confined endometrial cancer to reduce the morbidity of lymphadenectomy and has been demonstrated as a safe and feasible alternative. We compare the surgical and oncological outcomes between SLN mapping with routine lymphadenectomy in the surgical staging of early-stage endometrial cancer in our centre. Methods. A retrospective single-centre cohort study of patients with early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer undergoing staging surgery (total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with/without pelvic lymph node, and/or para-aortic lymph node dissection (PLND)) with either SLN mapping or routine lymphadenectomy between July 2017 and December 2018. Results. 203 cases with clinical and radiological International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer were included, out of which 109 cases underwent SLN mapping and 94 cases complete lymphadenectomy. Compared to the PLND group, the SLN group had shorter operative time (129 vs. 162 minutes), less blood loss (100 vs. 300 ml), and decreased length of postoperative hospital stay (3 vs. 4 days) ( $p<0.001$ ). The lymph node metastases detection rate was 4.6% and 7.4% for the SLN and PLND groups, respectively ( $p=0.389$ ). With a median follow-up of 14 months for the SLN and 15 months for the PLND group, the disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were comparable for both at 13 months ( $p=0.538$ and $p=0.333$ , respectively). Conclusion. SLN mapping has been shown to be an acceptable alternative to routine lymphadenectomy in the surgical staging of early-stage endometrial cancer in our centre, with a comparable lymph node metastases detection rate, DFS and OS, and reduction in operative morbidity. Our results with SLN mapping reproduce comparable outcomes to those reported in the literature.