Laparoscopic management of isolated nodal recurrence in gynecological malignancies is safe and feasible even for large metastatic nodes up to 8 cm: A prospective case series

Abstract

Background: The surgical treatment of isolated lymph node recurrence (ILNR) of gynecological malignancies is still debated. The feasibility and effectiveness of minimally invasive lymphadenectomy have been reported by few studies; however, it remains unclear what the upper tumor size limit is for a minimally invasive approach. We prospectively analyzed cases of ILNR treated by laparoscopy in our unit while focusing on the safety and feasibility of resecting large tumors suspected of recurrence using a minimally invasive approach.

Materials and methods: We carried out a prospective observational case-series study. We included all consecutive patients with ILNR from gynecological cancers who underwent minimally invasive lymphadenectomy at our unit from June 2013 to June 2021 to assess the safety and feasibility of such a surgical approach. We also evaluated the oncological outcome in terms of further recurrence, site of recurrence, and survival.

Results: Twenty-seven patients with ILNR due to gynecological malignancies were included (ovarian cancer, 12; uterine malignancies, 12; cervical cancer, 3). Three had remarkably large LNs up to 8 cm: these emblematic cases have been reported in detail with accompanying videos of the surgical procedure. The most frequent site of ILNR was aortic (67%). Recurrent LNs were completely resected in all cases; none of the procedures was converted to open surgery. The median follow-up duration was 24 months. Ten patients (37%) had a new recurrence. To date five patients (18.5%) have succumbed, four (14.8%) are alive with evidence of disease, and 18 (66.7%) are alive with no evidence of disease.

Conclusions: Minimally invasive surgery for ILNR in gynecological malignancies may be an option feasible, safe, and effective in terms of oncological outcomes, even for large tumors. It also allows quicker recovery with early initiation of appropriate postoperative systemic chemotherapy, in the context of an optimal multimodal therapeutic approach.

Keywords: Case-series; Disease-free survival; Gynecological cancers; Isolated nodal recurrence; Laparoscopy; Minimally invasive surgery; Secondary cytoreductive surgery.