Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

Selective Surgical Staging versus Reflex Lymphadenectomy in Evaluating Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Non-mappers Undergoing Surgery for Endometrial Cancer

Trial Status: active

This phase III trial compares the effectiveness of selective surgical staging versus reflex side specific lymphadenectomy (LAD) in evaluating sentinel lymph nodes in non-mappers undergoing surgery for endometrial cancer. Standard surgical treatment for endometrial cancer is a removal of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes, and possible lymph node removal (lymphadenectomy). Currently there is no standard approach on the extent of lymph node removal or whether it is necessary. Often, the individual surgeon determines the extent of the surgical treatment rather than using criteria that relate to the extent of the disease and risk factors. Mapping the sentinel lymph node, the first lymph node affected by cancer spread, is used to detect lymph node disease prior to surgery. However, sentinel lymph node mapping may not completely identify all lymph nodes, and it is suggested that high-risk patients may benefit from LAD even with negative mapping. Selective surgical staging involves the inspection of the uterus and pelvis by the surgeon and the pathologist during surgery to determine whether the cancer has spread and if removal of lymph nodes is needed. Reflex side-specific LAD relies on the results of the lymph node mapping to determine lymph node removal. Selective surgical staging with side-specific LAD as indicated, may be as effective as reflex side-specific LAD in non-mappers undergoing surgery for endometrial cancer.