[Sentinel lymphatic node biopsy for breast cancer in practice].

OBJECTIVE

This paper reviewed the feasibility and accuracy of sentinel lymph node status in women with breast cancer.

DESIGN

Clinical retrospective study.

SETTING

Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2nd Medical School, Teaching Hospital Motol, Praha.

METHODS

Our trial involved 169 patients with breast cancer in the T1 and T2 stage without suspicion for axillary lymph node involvement. Lymphatic mapping was performed by sub dermal or subareolar injection of 99mTc labeled collodial human albumin (Senti-Scint) in the dose of 15 MBg one day before surgery. During the operation lymphatic mapping with vital blue dye (patent blau) was performed. Then the hand-held gamma-ray detector probe was used to locate the sentinel node. From a small axillary incision the blue-stained sentinel node was removed. Both methods of detection were compared, the sentinel lymph node has to be hot-radioactive and blue-stained. Complete axillary lymphadenectomy was then done. All removed lymph nodes were prepared for histopathological examination.

RESULTS

Failures of sentinel lymph node detection were in 9 cases (5.3%) of the 169 patients. There was one case of false negative sentinel lymph node biopsy (0.6%). Most failures occurred during the learning phase of lymphatic mapping and were associated with excessive tumor involvement of axillary lymph nodes. Success of sentinel lymph node detection was in 160 cases (94.7%) and in our trial both methods of lymphatic mapping were equally effective. Tumor involvement of sentinel lymph nodes were in 43 patients (26.9%), in 19 (11.9%) of them, the sentinel nodes were the only metastasis nodes, whereas in the remaining 24 (15%) patients other axillary nodes were positive. The concordance between negative sentinel node and axillary lymph node status was in 117 (73.1%) cases.

CONCLUSION

The introduction of sentinel lymph node biopsy allows directed and accurate assessment of axillary involvement with minimal morbidity. Sentinel node accurately predicts the status of all axillary nodes in more than 94.7% of cases.