Prognostic value of the number of the metastatic lymph nodes in locally early-stage cervical cancer: squamous cell carcinoma versus non-squamous cell carcinoma

Purpose To clarify the prognostic value of the number of metastatic lymph nodes (mLNs) in squamous and non-squamous histologies among women with node-positive cervical cancer. Methods One hundred ninety-one node-positive cervical cancer patients who had undergone radical hysterectomy plus systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy followed by concurrent radiochemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. The prognostic value of the number of mLNs was investigated in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) v ( n = 148) and non-SCC ( n = 43) histologies separately with univariate log-rank test and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Results In SCC cohort, mLNs > 2 was significantly associated with decreased 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.06; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–4.09; p = 0.03) and overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.35, 95% CI 1.11–4.99; p = 0.02). However mLNs > 2 had no significant impact on 5-year DFS and 5-year OS rates in non-SCC cohort ( p = 0.94 and p = 0.94, respectively). We stratified the entire study population as SCC with mLNs ≤ 2, SCC with mLNs > 2, and non-SCC groups. Thereafter, we compared survival outcomes. The non-SCC group had worse 5-year OS (46.8% vs. 85.3%, respectively; p < 0.001) and 5-year DFS rates (31.6% vs. 82.2%, respectively; p < 0.001) when compared to those of the SCC group with mLNs ≤ 2. However, the non-SCC group and the SCC group with mLNs > 2 had similar 5-year OS (46.8% vs. 65.5%, respectively; p = 0.16) and 5-year DFS rates (31.6% vs. 57.5%, respectively; p = 0.06). Conclusion Node-positive cervical cancer patients who have non-SCC histology as well as those who have SCC histology with mLNs > 2 seem to have worse survival outcomes when compared to women who have SCC histology with mLNs ≤ 2.