title: Selective lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer: Retrospective analysis of morbidity and survival data at a tertiary care centre.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare perioperative morbidity and survival data between patients with early-stage endometrial cancer who did or did not undergo selective lymphadenectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of 180 patients with early-stage endometrial carcinoma treated between 1999 and 2008 was performed in Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 180 patients were analysed. The selective lymphadenectomy group contained 108 women (60%) and the no lymphadenectomy group contained 72 women (40%). The median number of lymph nodes removed was 9. The mean age and extent of disease, as assessed by staging, tumour size, myometrial invasion, and lymphovascular invasion were comparable between groups. Upstaging of the disease to stage 3 and 4 occurred in 11% of patients in the lymphadenectomy group. There were no significant differences in the medical or surgical complications between groups. At a median follow-up of 26 months, both groups had comparable survival (lymphadenectomy versus no lymphadenectomy: 34 versus 32 months). Similar survival was noted for patients who underwent the removal of more or less than 5 pelvic lymph nodes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Selective lymphadenectomy offers the advantage of improved surgical staging but no therapeutic benefit in terms of overall survival.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Uzma Chishti, Senior Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Uzma
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Chishti
authors.affiliation: Dr. Aliya B. Aziz, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Aliya B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.affiliation: Dr. Munazza Akhtar, Senior Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Munazza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.affiliation: Dr. Munazza Akhtar, Senior Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheikh
keywords: Endometrial cancer; Lymphadenectomy