Innovative procedure at SJU Miercurea-Ciuc, which targets uterine cancer

An innovative procedure aimed at uterine cancer (endometrial/uterine cancer), namely the sentinel lymph node biopsy, has the role of identifying the stage of the disease and whether subsequent treatment is necessary. The approach is used more recently in the case of gynecological cancers, such as uterine cancer, and can now also be performed at the Miercurea-Ciuc County Emergency Hospital.

The intervention itself has no therapeutic value, but has the value of “signaling at what stage the disease is” and if subsequent treatment is necessary, according to the head of the Department of Obstetrics – Gynecology at SJU Miercurea-Ciuc, Dr. Hompoth György.

“It is about a new, innovative procedure, which is applied at the Miercurea-Ciuc County Hospital, gynecology department, a procedure aimed at uterine cancer. The procedure is called a sentinel lymph node biopsy. The essence of the procedure is that in the case of cancer, in addition to the operation itself, i.e. the removal of the target organ (uterus – ed.), a lymphadenectomy must also be performed, i.e. the removal and excision of all the lymph nodes in the pelvis and near the aorta, i.e. the vessels big. It’s a procedure that involves serious morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Hompoth György, quoted by Agerpres.

According to him, the new procedure “is much easier and involves much fewer complications”.

The approach aims at the biopsy of the first ganglion, where the extrauterine disease occurs (outside the uterus), thus having prognostic and cancer staging value.

The intervention is also much faster, allowing patients to leave the hospital faster, in two or three days.

Dr. György specified that one third of the oncological interventions performed at the department he leads, which has an oncological surgery department, is aimed at uterine cancer.

The intervention is done with a high-performance device, purchased with the help of the Harghita County Council, under which the County Emergency Hospital is located.

The doctor also added that “sentence lymph node biopsy and laparoscopic interventions for uterine body cancer are practiced in very few centers in the country”, respectively “in a few more advanced university centers”.