Should the Presence of Metastatic Para-Aortic Lymph Nodes in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer Lead to More Aggressive Treatment Strategies?
To evaluate risk factors in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) undergoing pretherapeutic laparoscopic para-aortic lymphadenectomy (LPL) as well as the progression-free and overall survival rates specifically in the subgroup of patients with metastatic para-aortic lymph nodes (PLNs).



Retrospective study conducted on demographic data, pathologic and surgical findings, complications, and disease status recorded for LACC patients undergoing LPL during the period 2009 to 2015.



Department of Gynecologic Oncology of the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Canary Islands, Spain (Canadian Task Force Classification II-3).



Women with LACC undergoing pretherapeutic LPL. All patients were treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy after surgery, and those with metastatic PLN received extended lumboaortic radiation therapy.



Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan-Meier method. Statistical significance was considered for p <.05.



The study included 139 patients. The median age was 48 years (range, 28-73). The most frequent histologic type was squamous cell carcinoma (77%), and the most frequent 2009 FIGO stage was IIB (48.2%). LPL identified metastatic PLN in 18.7% of patients (n = 26). The mean overall survival for the whole population, after 23 months of follow-up, was 68.2 months (95% CI, 63-73.4). For patients without para-aortic metastases, the mean survival time was 76.9 months (95% CI, 70.3-80.4), whereas for patients with positive PLNs the median survival time was 21 months (95% CI, 6.1-35.9; p <.0001). A logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of metastatic PLNs and tumor size (>5 cm) were both independent risk factors for poor survival (OR, 117.5; 95% CI, 11.6-990.2; p <.0001, and OR, 21.5; 95% CI, 2-230.3; p = .01, respectively).



LACC patients with metastatic PLNs had a poor prognosis and low survival rate. We postulate that this finding could be accounted for by the presence of hidden systemic disease and high recurrence rate after therapy. Efforts should be made to improve available therapeutic strategies for this particular subgroup of patients.
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. Electronic address: virginia.benito@yahoo.es.
Virginia
V
Benito
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
Sonia
S
Carballo
Department of Gynecology, Funchal, Portugal.
Patricia
P
Silva
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
Miriam
M
Esparza
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
Octavio
O
Arencibia
Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Universitario Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
Mario
M
Federico
Department of Pathology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
Miguel
M
Andújar
Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, Hospital Universitario Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
Marta
M
Mori
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
Norberto
N
Medina
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
Amina
A
Lubrano
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy
Chemoradiotherapy; Extraperitoneal para-aortic lymphadenectomy; Locally advanced cervical cancer; Metastatic para-aortic nodes; Survival rate