Clinical Application And Significance Of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy In Breast Cancer

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility, accuracy and clinical significance of sentinel lymph node biopsy in the management of breast cancer. Methods: Technetium-99m labeled sulfur colloid were injected into the breast adjacent to the primary tumor or resection cavity, 2-4 hours latter, patients underwent intraoperative lymphatic mapping using a hand-held gamma detector, the SLN was identified and removed, followed by a definitive cancer operation, including a axillary node dissection. The predictive value of sentinel node for the axillary tumorstatus was evaluated with histological examinationResults:The SLN was identified in 30(91%) of patients using this method, alltogather 58 SLNs and 470 ALNs were harvasted, on average 1.9 SLNs were examined and 14.2 ALNs were removed. In the 30 patients, 1 lpatients(33.3%) were found to have metastatic disease , and the SLN tested positive in all 11 patients, in 3 of the 11 patients with metastatic disease,the SLN was the only site of disease. SLN was 100% predictive of axillary status in this 30 patients.Conclusion:The study confirms that intraoperative lymphatic mapping using a hand-held gamma detector to identify SLN is technically possible and histologic characteristics of the SLN probably reflect the histologic characteristics of the rest of the axillary lymph nodes and SLNB may substitute ALND.