Laparoscopic surgery for isolated nodal recurrence: appropriate for all patients or only a select few?

摘要

Isolated paraaortic lymph node recurrence of gynecologic cancer occurs in approximately 2% to 4% of patients [1,2]. Laparoscopic surgery for treatment of such recurrence offers patients the potential benefits of less blood loss, lower transfusion requirements, quicker return to daily activities, and overall improved quality of life. In this month's journal, Hong et al [3] report on the feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic lymphadenectomy in patients with isolated lymph node recurrence of gynecologic malignancy. The report is limited to 6 patients, and the patients were treated over a 7-year period. The group of patients was heterogeneous: 1 patient had cervical cancer, 4 patients had ovarian cancer, and 1 patient had peritoneal cancer.