ABSTRACT
The status of lymph nodes is the single most important prognostic marker in cervical cancer. In earlystage disease, the overall rate of pelvic lymph node metastasis is in the region of 15%. Traditionally, lymphadenectomy has always been performed through a midline incision. However, in the last two decades, advances in laparoscopic surgery have made it possible to perform a complete pelvic and paraaortic node dissection laparoscopically. The recent introduction of the sentinel node mapping technique has also allowed a better understanding of the lymphatic drainage of cervical cancers. It is now recognized that the most frequently involved lymph nodes in cancer of the cervix are those located medial to the external iliac vein and in the obturator fossa.
