Survival in patients with paraaortic lymph node metastases from endometrial adenocarcinoma clinically limited to the uterus

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was (a) to evaluate the incidence of paraaortic lymph node metastasis from adenocarcinoma of the endometrium clinically limited to the uterus (1971 FIGO Stages I and II) and (b) to report the 5 year disease-free survival of patients with histologically documented paraaortic lymph node metastasis from endometrial adenocarcinoma clinically limited to the uterus treated on two separate protocols.

Methods and materials: From June 1979 to June 1990, 109 patients underwent staging paraaortic lymphadenectomy or paraaortic lymph node biopsy at the time of total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for adenocarcinoma of the endometrium clinically limited to the uterus. Patients with histologically documented paraaortic lymph node metastasis were treated on two protocols: (a) pelvic radiation (5,040 cGy) plus progestins or (b) pelvic radiation therapy (5,040 cGy) plus paraaortic radiation (4,500 cGy).

Results: Paraaortic lymph node metastases was primarily associated with grade 3 tumors (34.4%) and deep myometrial invasion (42%) and was present in 17.4% (19) of 109 patients. None of the women treated with pelvic radiation therapy and progestins survived five years disease-free. In contrast, the 5 year disease-free survival was 27% for patients treated by pelvic and paraaortic radiation.

Conclusions: Since all patients with macroscopic metastases to the paraaortic lymph nodes developed recurrent cancer and only a small percentage of those with microscopic metastases to the paraaortic lymph nodes survived disease-free at 5 years, improved survival for patients with paraaortic lymph node metastases will necessitate the addition of effective cytotoxic chemotherapy to pelvic and paraaortic radiation.