title: [Impact of sentinel node technique on the survival in patients with vulvar cancer: analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vulvar cancer is usually treated with vulvectomy and bilateral groin lymphadenectomy, which result in serious morbidities while only 30% of patients have positive nodes. The sentinel node technique has good sensitivity and specificity for detecting lymph node involvement while minimizing postoperative morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the specific and overall survival impact of sentinel lymph node procedure versus inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy in patients with vulvar cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database on patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma, T1 or T2 stage, metastatis-free, followed between 2004 and 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand and thirty eight patients had a systematic groin lymphadenectomy and 56 a sentinel node technique (including 22 with an associated lymphadenectomy because of a positive sentinel node). There is no significant difference in overall or specific survival between the two groups. In multivariate analysis, age, T stage and nodal status are prognostic factors for overall and specific mortality (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sentinel node technique is not associated with an excess risk of mortality or recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Service de gynécologie-obstétrique et médecine de la reproduction, hôpital Tenon, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 4, rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Canlorbe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rouzier
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bendifallah
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chéreau
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006119:Groin; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018426:SEER Program; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery