@article{3083004,
    title = "Impact of inguinal dissection on prognosis of early-stage squamous cell
carcinoma of the vulva - a retrospective analysis",
    author = "Kouvaris, JR and Kouloulias, VE and Kondi-Pahpiti, A and Kokakis, JD and and Vlahos, LJ",
    journal = "Onkologie",
    year = "2003",
    volume = "26",
    number = "6",
    pages = "564-567",
    publisher = "Karger",
    issn = "0378-584X, 1423-0240",
    doi = "10.1159/000074152",
    keywords = "vulvar carcinoma; prognostic factors; lymph node dissection; stage;
radiotherapy",
    abstract = "Background: Inclusion of inguinal lymphadenectomy in the surgical
procedure is a potential prognostic factor for squamous cell vulvar
carcinoma. Patients and Methods: A total of 33 women with early-stage
squamous cell vulvar carcinoma were analyzed retrospectively. Before the
establishment of FIGO criteria in 1983, 17 patients with stage I and 2
patients with stage II were evaluated clinically without inguinal
lymphadenectomy. All patients underwent post-operative radiotherapy with
a median dose of 45 Gy to the pelvis (vulva included) and boost dose to
the vulva ranging from 10 to 20 Gy. Factors assessed for prognostic
value included age, inguinal lymph node dissection, differentiation
grade, and total irradiation dose to the vulva and pelvis. Results: The
log-rank test and the univariate regression analysis revealed that all
above factors except irradiation dose decreased the overall survival. In
the multivariate regression analysis, differentiation grade and the
absence of inguinal dissection were independent predictors for decreased
survival with a relative risk up to 2.6 (95% CI = 1.3, 5.6) and 2.7 (
95% CI = 1.31, 5.44), respectively. Conclusion: Clinical evaluation of
inguinal lymph node involvement is inadequate and node dissection is
definitely the only appropriate surgical procedure for vulvar carcinoma."
}