title: Detection of micrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes of the breast applying monoclonal antibodies AE1/AE3 to pancytokeratins.
abstract: Sentinel lymph node excision in breast cancer is a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure for accurate staging of the axilla and for avoiding unnecessary axillary dissection. In patients with palpable breast cancer we injected microcolloidal particles of human serum albumin labelled with technetium-99m the day before surgery. The sentinel node was detected intraoperatively with a handheld gammaprobe and then removed. Complete axillary dissection was performed and the nodes inspected by routine histological examination. The axillary lymph node status was correctly predicted by the sentinel node technique in 32 of 33 breast cancer patients. Two cases of micrometastases escaped routine histopathological detection but were identified by immunohistochemical analysis applying the antibody AE1/AE3 to pancytokeratins. Immunohistochemical examination of the sentinel node improves the diagnostic security of patients with breast carcinoma by detection of micrometastases.
authors.affiliation: Frauenklinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universitat Munchen, D-81675 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kowolik
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nährig
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Obst
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Avril
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Graeff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D007633:Keratins