Outcome of Surgical Intervention for Intrathoracic Lymph Node Metastasis in Uterine and Ovarian Cancer without Lung Metastasis: A Report of Three Cases.

Introduction: Metastasis to the hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes in gynecological cancer is rare, and isolated hilar or mediastinal lymph node metastases are even rarer. In this report, we describe the results of lymph node dissection performed on 3 patients with hilar mediastinal lymph node metastasis but no lung metastasis from uterine or ovarian cancer.

Case presentation: Case 1 was a 50-year-old woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer with mediastinal lymph node metastasis. After 4 courses of chemotherapy, a total hysterectomy, omentectomy, and mediastinal lymph node dissection were performed simultaneously. The patient is still alive 58 months after surgery. Case 2 was a 68-year-old woman who underwent a total hysterectomy after chemotherapy for endometrial cancer with multiple lymph node metastases. Forty-two months after surgery, mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed for metastasis of uterine cancer. She is still alive 75 months after surgery. Case 3 was a 69-year-old woman who underwent a hysterectomy for endometrial cancer. One year after surgery, she underwent thoracoscopic hilar and mediastinal lymph node dissection due to metastasis. Thirty-nine months have passed with no recurrence. Aggressive local control, particularly surgical resection of isolated hilar mediastinal lymph nodes in gynecological cancer, may contribute to prolonging patient survival.

Conclusions: Aggressive local control, especially surgical resection, for isolated hilar mediastinal lymph nodes due to gynecological cancer is safe and may contribute to prolonging survival.