Para-aortic lymph node recurrence in patients with cervical cancer treated with postoperative irradiation to the pelvis
Takahashi, M.; Mitsuhashi, N.; Sakurai, H.; Hayakawa, K.; Niibe, H.
Anticancer Research 17(3c): 2265-2268
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0250-7005 PMID: 9216699 Document Number: 481107
A retrospective analysis of para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis in patients with cervical squamous cell cancer who received prophylactic postoperative irradiation to the pelvis, was carried out. Patients and Methods: Sixty-seven patients had no intra-pelvic lymph node (IPLN) metastasis (n 0), whereas 33 had IPLN (n 1). Ali patients received prophylactic external beam irradiation with a total dose of 50 Gy to the entire pelvis followed by intravaginal boost. Only 5 patients received a prophylactic PALN irradiation with a total dose of 30-50 Gy. Results: No patient with n 0 developed para-aortic recurrence. However, 6 of 33 patients with n 1 developed PALNs recurrence but only 3 patients developed isolated PALN recurrence. There was no difference in survival between patients with PALNs irradiation and patients without PALNs irradiation. Conclusions: Routine prophylactic irradiation to PALNs is not necessary even for patients with IPLN metastasis except for the selected patients in the management of cervical cancer.