The value of complete lymphadenectomy in radical treatment of cancer of the cervix, stage IB

Two hundred ninety-three patients with Stage IB carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated by intracavitary irradiation followed by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection in the 3-year period 1970 to 1972, inclusive. Preoperative lymphography was performed and intraoperative films were taken to obtain a lymphadenectomy that was as complete as possible. The number and location of remaining nodes were determined by postoperative films. No patients were lost to follow-up. The 5- and 10-year survival and recurrence rates were correlated to the number of remaining nodes. It is concluded that patients with four or more remaining nodes have a possible inferior prognosis compared with the rest of the patients. Meticulous and time-consuming search for a few remaining nodes was, however, not found to be justified.