Introduction:

Cervical cancer (CC) is a public health problem. In Uruguay, it ranks third in incidence in women, causing 133 deaths annually. Lymph node involvement is one of its main prognostic factors and determines treatment. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) in early stages of cervical cancer is a safe technique that allows for adequate staging and reduces morbidity associated with conventional lymphadenectomy.

Objective:

To validate the use of the SLN biopsy technique in early stages of CC as the standard treatment for detecting lymph node metastases at the Women’s Hospital.

Method:

A prospective, longitudinal case study was conducted. Thirty patients with early-stage cervical cancer between January 2018 and November 2022 were included in the study. The marking was done with Tc99. Systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed in the same surgical procedure.

Results:

Sentinel lymph nodes were detected bilaterally in 29 out of 30 patients. With a detection rate per region of 98.3%, metastatic SLNs were detected in 5 patients, with no positive non-sentinel nodes found. One of them corresponded to a micrometastasis detected by ultra-staging. Sensitivity was 100% (95% CI 56.55,100) with a negative predictive value of 100% (95% CI 86.68, 100).

Conclusions:

According to the results of the study, the interdisciplinary team at the Women’s Hospital is in a position to use cervical SLN biopsy as the standard treatment for early-stage cervical cancer.

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