title: SCC-Ag, lymph node metastases and sentinel node procedure in early stage squamous cell cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We analyzed pretreatment SCC-Ag levels, lymph node (LN) status and disease outcome in early stage squamous cell (SCC) cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum SCC-Ag was measured before primary treatment in 91 patients (FIGO stage IB1 72, IB2 10, and IIA 9). Of these, 58 underwent laparoscopic sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure followed by pelvic lymphadenectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No false negative SLN were observed. SCC-Ag levels were higher in patients with positive LN compared to patients with negative LN (p=0.010), but no difference was found in the SLN patients (p=0.344). The accuracy to predict LN metastases of SCC-Ag at ROC established cutoff of 1.65 ng/mL and 5.5 ng/mL was 76% and 78%, respectively, in stage IB1, and 53% and 79%, respectively, in stages IB2+ IIA. Whereas no deaths were observed in patients with negative LN and negative SCC-Ag levels (at previously established cutoff of 1.1 ng/mL), overall survival (OS) for patients with negative LN but elevated SCC-Ag was similar to that of patients with positive LN, irrespective of their marker levels (Kaplan-Meier analysis of all patients and in stage IB1, p=0.002 and p=0.026, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SCC-Ag (>1.65 ng/mL) can predict LN metastases more accurately in stage IB1 than in stage IB2+ IIA. Since SCC-Ag levels above 1.1 ng/mL are already associated with a poor prognosis, the marker seems to identify a subgroup of LN negative patients with occult disease that may benefit from full lymphadenectomy following a SLN procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van de Lande
authors.forename: Elvira M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Davelaar
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Mensdorff-Pouilly
authors.forename: Tatjana J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Water
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berkhof
authors.forename: W Marchien
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: van Baal
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kenemans
authors.forename: René H M
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Verheijen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D015843:Serpins / Q000097:blood*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015843:Serpins; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen