Question:medium
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is most useful for which of the following gynaecological malignancies?
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is most useful for which of the following gynaecological malignancies?
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Think which gynae cancer has simple, superficial, predictable inguinal drainage.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Carcinoma endometrium
- Carcinoma cervix
- Carcinoma vulva
- Carcinoma vagina
Show Solution
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The whole point of a sentinel node biopsy is to find the single node that a tumour drains to first. Sample only that node: if it is clean, you spare the patient an extensive nodal clearance and the complications that follow. The technique works best where lymphatic drainage is orderly, accessible, and predictable.
Among gynaecological cancers, vulvar carcinoma fits this description best. The vulva drains to the inguinofemoral nodes, which are superficial and easy to map with patent blue dye plus a radioactive tracer. The alternative, a complete inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy, is notorious for wound dehiscence, infection, and chronic lower limb lymphoedema. Therefore a method that lets the surgeon avoid the full dissection in node negative cases offers a large benefit, and for early, single focus vulvar cancer the sentinel approach is validated and recommended.
The remaining options are less suited. Endometrial cancer has deeper pelvic and para-aortic drainage that is harder to predict, so sentinel mapping became routine only after this exam era. The cervix and vagina have rich, multidirectional lymphatics, which lowers the accuracy of identifying one true sentinel node.
So the malignancy where sentinel node biopsy is classically and most usefully applied is carcinoma of the vulva.
\[\boxed{\text{Carcinoma vulva}}\]
Among gynaecological cancers, vulvar carcinoma fits this description best. The vulva drains to the inguinofemoral nodes, which are superficial and easy to map with patent blue dye plus a radioactive tracer. The alternative, a complete inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy, is notorious for wound dehiscence, infection, and chronic lower limb lymphoedema. Therefore a method that lets the surgeon avoid the full dissection in node negative cases offers a large benefit, and for early, single focus vulvar cancer the sentinel approach is validated and recommended.
The remaining options are less suited. Endometrial cancer has deeper pelvic and para-aortic drainage that is harder to predict, so sentinel mapping became routine only after this exam era. The cervix and vagina have rich, multidirectional lymphatics, which lowers the accuracy of identifying one true sentinel node.
So the malignancy where sentinel node biopsy is classically and most usefully applied is carcinoma of the vulva.
\[\boxed{\text{Carcinoma vulva}}\]
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