Background: The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility, efficacy, and accuracy of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure in vulvar cancer.
Methods: From April 2004 to September 2006, all patients with vulvar cancer, clinical stages I and II, underwent SLN detection, followed by a complete inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy. Demographic, surgical, and pathologic data on all patients were prospectively entered in a database.
Results: Forty-two patients underwent the SLN procedure. One patient was excluded from further analysis due to metastases to the vulva. The detection rate for at least 1 SLN per patient was 95%, with bilateral SLNs detected in 46% of patients. There was a trend toward improved ability to detect bilateral SLNs and proximity of the cancer to the midline (r = 0.996; P = .057). No contralateral SLNs were identified in patients with lateral vulvar lesions (>1 cm from the midline). For 'close-to-midline' (< or =1 cm from the midline) lesions, SLNs were detected in 93% of ipsilateral groins and bilateral SLNs were found in 46% of patients, whereas lesions abutting the midline had unilateral and bilateral SLN detected in 100% and 93%, respectively. Sixteen of 41 patients (39%) and 18 of 68 groins (26%) revealed metastatic disease in the lymph nodes; all were correctly identified by the SLN procedure. There were no false-negative SLN results.
Conclusions: SLN dissection is feasible and safe to perform in vulvar cancer. The ability to identify bilateral sentinel inguinal lymph nodes appears to be related to the proximity of the vulvar cancer to the midline.