Abstract
Background
The use of radioisotopes (RIs) is regulated and not all institutions have nuclear
medicine facilities for sentinel node biopsy (SNB). We previously reported blue dye-assisted
four-node axillary sampling (4NAS/dye) to be a suitable method for detecting sentinel
nodes (SNs) without RIs. Here, we present an interim report on an observational study
of this technique.
Methods
From May 2003 to June 2008, 234 early breast cancer patients underwent SNB with 4NAS/dye.
Lymphatic mapping was performed by injection of patent blue, and axillary sampling
was performed until 4 SNs were detected. Patients with metastatic SNs underwent axillary
lymph node dissection (ALND) at levels I and II, while SN-negative patients did not
undergo further axillary procedures.
Results
The SN identification rate was 99%. In total, 44 patients were diagnosed with metastatic
disease by using the 4NAS/dye technique and underwent ALND; the remaining 189 patients
did not undergo ALND (the SNB group). After a median follow-up period of 54 months,
only 1 patient (0.5%) in the SNB group developed axillary recurrence. For the 4NAS/dye
procedure, blue SNs were harvested in 220 patients (94%) and only unstained SNs were
harvested in 13 patients (6%). Among the 44 patients with SN metastases, foci were
found in blue SNs in 37 patients (84%), while they were found in only unstained SNs
in 7 patients (16%).
Conclusions
SNB with 4NAS/dye is a safe and reliable technique for treatment of early breast cancer
patients. This technique may be particularly useful for surgeons who do not have access
to radioisotope facilities.
Keywords
Non-standard abbreviations:
4NAS/dye (four-node axillary sampling assisted by blue dye technique), AC-T (anthracycline:adriamycin or epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel), 5-FU (5-fluorouracil), ALND (axillary lymph node dissection), RI (radioisotope), SNs (sentinel nodes), SNB (sentinel node biopsy), TRC (transcription-reverse transcription concerted reaction)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
June 7,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc.
