Outcomes for patients with T1 squamous cell cancer of the vulva undergoing sentinel node biopsy.

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective review was undertaken to evaluate survival in patients with T1 squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva treated with radical local excision and sentinel node dissection.

METHODS

Patients with T1 cancers underwent pre-operative lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node dissection using technetium sulfur colloid and isosulfan blue dye. The primary tumor was removed with radical local excision. Patients with negative sentinel nodes did not receive any additional treatment. Survival was calculated using life table analysis.

RESULTS

There were 21 patients who underwent 27 sentinel node dissections. Three patients were found to have positive sentinel nodes. At a median follow-up of 4.6 years, two patients have died of cancer, and three patients have died of intercurrent illness. None of the patients with negative sentinel nodes has died of cancer. There were no groin or distant recurrences in patients with negative sentinel nodes. Three-year disease-free survival for all patients and for patients with negative sentinel nodes were 90% and 100% respectively.

CONCLUSION

The survival for patients with early vulvar cancer treated with sentinel node dissection and radical local excision appears excellent.