Port-site recurrence following laparoscopic surgery in cervical cancer

Port-site metastasis (PSM) after laparoscopic lymphadenectomy in cervical cancer is a new phenomenon. This situation creates potential therapeutic difficulties, especially in node-negative and early stages of disease. We report a case of port-site metastases following laparoscopic removal of para-aortic lymph nodes in a 74-year-old women with stage IIIb squamous cancer of the cervix, together with an update of all the previous published cases in the literature. None of the removed lymph nodes showed evidence of metastatic carcinoma. The patient received radiation therapy and a complete response was accomplished. Fifteen months after the operation, the patient presented with a suspicious lesion around the umbilical port-site. The lesion was excised and histology confirmed metastatic disease. The patient was further treated with cisplatin. However, she died of her disease after 24 months. The development of a port-site recurrence after laparoscopic surgery in cervical cancer could jeopardize use of this approach. Therefore, all patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for malignancies should have careful follow-up with special attention to the port sites.