Assessment of the sentinel lymph node in patients with invasive squamous carcinoma of the vulva.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic validity of the sentinel lymph node technique in detecting inguinal lymph node metastases in patients with invasive squamous cancer of the vulva.

DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the in-house tumor registry.

SETTING: Dr. Horst Schmidt Klinik, a tertiary gynecologic oncology unit in Wiesbaden, Germany, June 2000-May 2008.

POPULATION: All consecutive operated patients with primary envisaged diagnosis were included.

METHODS: The sentinel node identification technique was performed and patients were informed accordingly. Patients who consented and were found eligible underwent preoperative lymphscintigraphy on the day before surgery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sentinel node detection in specimen from sentinel lymph node biopsy and from full lymphadenectomy (LNE); sentinel lymph node biopsy as a sole surgical groin procedure in patients with histological negative sentinel node; benefit with respect to side effects for sentinel lymph node biopsy compared to full LNE; complication rates; and recurrences of vulvar cancer.

RESULTS: In all, 46 of 59 patients with vulvar malignancy underwent inguinofemoral LNE, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLB) of the groin followed by LNE, or SLB alone. Most patients had been diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. Since no false positive or false negative results were recorded, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the sentinel lymph node were 100%. However, in 6%, a sentinel lymph node could not be detected intraoperatively indicating a feasibility of 94%.

CONCLUSION: The implementation of sentinel lymph node technique for groin staging in squamous cell vulvar cancer seems to provide a feasible and safe technique in tertiary gynecologic oncology.