Impact of inguinal dissection on prognosis of early-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva--a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND

Inclusion of inguinal lymphadenectomy in the surgical procedure is a potential prognostic factor for squamous cell vulvar carcinoma.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A total of 33 women with early-stage squamous cell vulvar carcinoma were analyzed retrospectively. Before the establishment of FIGO criteria in 1983, 17 patients with stage I and 2 patients with stage II were evaluated clinically without inguinal lymphadenectomy. All patients underwent post-operative radiotherapy with a median dose of 45 Gy to the pelvis (vulva included) and boost dose to the vulva ranging from 10 to 20 Gy. Factors assessed for prognostic value included age, inguinal lymph node dissection, differentiation grade, and total irradiation dose to the vulva and pelvis.

RESULTS

The log-rank test and the univariate regression analysis revealed that all above factors except irradiation dose decreased the overall survival. In the multivariate regression analysis, differentiation grade and the absence of inguinal dissection were independent predictors for decreased survival with a relative risk up to 2.6 (95% CI = 1.3, 5.6) and 2.7 (95% CI = 1.31, 5.44), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Clinical evaluation of inguinal lymph node involvement is inadequate and node dissection is definitely the only appropriate surgical procedure for vulvar carcinoma.