Obesity, lymphadenectomy and survival outcomes in intermediate to high-risk, early-stage endometrial cancer patients

Abstract

ABSTRACT  Aim: Lymphadenectomy or lymph node dissection is a topic of controversy in endometrial cancer (EC) treatment. Materials & methods: Associations between lymph node dissections and clinical factors were retrospectively examined in obese, endometrioid endometrial cancer patients with early-stage disease between 1995 and 2005. Overall, EC-specific and recurrence-free survival were also evaluated. Results: Out of 192 patients, 61 (32%) did not have a lymph node examination, 55 (29%) had less than ten lymph nodes removed and 76 (39%) had ≥10 removed. Lymph node dissection count was not significantly associated with overall, EC-specific or recurrence-free survival. Conclusion: Analysis revealed no significant associations between ≥10 dissected lymph nodes and survival outcomes among obese, EC patients, which supports the need for additional investigation of the merit of lymphadenectomy among these patients.