The prognostic significance of lymph‐vascular space invasion in stage I endometrial cancer

Surgical specimens from 111 patients with Stage I endometrial cancer were reviewed for the presence of lymph‐vascular space invasion by tumor cells. Lymph‐vascular space invasion was noted in 16 cases, and occurred most frequently in poorly differentiated tumors with deep myometrial penetration. Tumor recurrence developed in 44% of patients whose tumors demonstrated lymph‐vascular space invasion as opposed to only 2% of patients without this finding (p < 0.001). Of seven patients with lymph‐vascular space invasion who experienced tumor recurrence, five developed extra‐pelvic metastases. Discriminant function analysis of these data revealed a statistically significant correlation between lymph‐vascular space invasion and tumor recurrence, independent of histologic differentiation of myometrial penetration. These findings suggest that lymph‐vascular space invasion by tumor cells is an important prognostic variable in Stage I endometrial cancer which should be considered in treatment planning.