Predictors of SLN Mapping Failure with Diego Raimondo and Giulia Rovero

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Diego Raimondo and Giulia Rovero. Dr. Raimondo works as medical director and assistant researcher at the Division of Gynecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, Bologna, Italy, directed by Prof. Renato Seracchioli. He received his PhD on new technologies for endometriosis surgical removal from the University of Bologna in 2021. He is an Advisory Board Member of the ESGE (European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy) and member of the Special Interest Group in Robotics. His research interests are focused on minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic, robotic and hysteroscopic) for endometriosis and endometrial cancer. Dr. Giulia Rovero graduated in Medicine in 2017 at the University of Florence. She is currently a fifth-year resident at the Division of Gynecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, Bologna, Italy, directed by Prof. Renato Seracchioli. In 2022/23 she spent twelve months at the Lariboisiere Hospital in Paris focusing on gynecologic oncology. She is developing her research activity in collaboration with Dr. Raimondo in the field of minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer.    Highlights: In endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients, the rate of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping failure ranges from 20% to 25%. Pooled data assessing predictive factors of SLN mapping failure in EC patients undergoing SLN biopsy through the cervical injection of indocyanine green (ICG) are lacking. ICG dose <3mL, advanced FIGO stage, lymph node involvement and bulky lymph node are predictive factors of SLN mapping failure in EC patients. Neither clinical features (i.e., BMI >30 kg/m2, menopausal status, adenomyosis) nor surgical history is significantly associated with SLN mapping failure in EC patients. Deep myometrial invasion, FIGO grade 3, non-endometrioid histotype, and lymphovascular space invasion are not significantly associated with SLN mapping failure in EC patients.