Robotic Surgery in the Management of Endometrial Cancer

Abstract

Endometrial cancer remains the most common gynecologic malignancy in the Unites States and Western Europe. It has been estimated that in 2014, about 52, 630 new cases of endometrial cancer was diagnosed and about 8,590 died from the disease. Prior to 1988, endometrial cancer was staged clinically. Since that time surgical staging has been adopted. With the advancement in technology, the vast majority of cases are being staged and treated surgically via minimally invasive approaches. Conventional laparoscopy has been a major advancement in staging and treatment of uterine cancers. However, technical challenges such as 2-D imaging, rigid instruments, and lack of precision and surgeon fatigue did not translate into widespread adoption of this technique. With the advent of computer-enhanced robotic telesurgery, this has dramatically changed the surgical management and staging of endometrial cancer.