Sentinel node biopsy in cervical cancer: state-of-the-art in 2007

In cervical cancer, lymph node status is a major prognostic factor and a decision criterion for adjuvant therapy warranting the lymphadenectomy. The sentinel node procedure, which has emerged to reduce morbidity of extensive lymphadenectomy, remains a major step in the surgical management of solid cancers. Sentinel node procedure has become a standard technique for the determination of the nodal stage of the disease in patients with melanoma, vulvar cancer and recently in breast cancer. In cervical cancer, the sentinel node biopsy is still at the stage of feasibility. In this article, we review the technical aspects, results and clinical implications of sentinel node procedure in cervical cancer.