Lymph node assessment in cervical cancer: current approaches

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common neoplasia in women worldwide. Although early-stage CC is often curable, 40 to 50% of patients are diagnosed at a locally advanced stage. Metastatic disease accounts for the principal cause of death. Lymph node (LN) status is a major factor impacting treatment options and prognosis. Historically, CC was staged based only on clinical findings. However, in 2018, imaging modalities and/or pathological findings were included in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging classification. In the last decades, LN status assessment has evolved considerably. Full pelvic lymphadenectomy used to be the only way to determine LN status. Currently, several options exist: surgery with full lymphadenectomy, sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy or imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Regarding surgery, the SLN biopsy technique has become a standard procedure in cases of CC, with indocyanine green (ICG) being the preferred dye. Pelvic MRI is a valuable imaging technique modality for the evaluation of pelvic LNs. In locally advanced or in early-stage disease with suspicious LNs on CT scans or MRI, PET/CT is recommended for assessment of nodal and distant status. The best strategy for LN assessment remains a highly controversial topic in the literature. In this article, we aim to review and compare the advantages and limitations of each modality, i.e. imaging or surgical (lymphadenectomy or SLN biopsy) approaches.