[Clinical significance of sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To study the significance of sentinel lymph node(SLN) biopsy (SLNB) in determining the extent of axillary dessection for cN0 breast cancer patients.


METHODS
In 96 patients with cN0 breast cancer, sentinel lymph nodes identified by patent blue-V or methylene blue staining were excised for biopsy. patients then received operations for breast cancer including axillary dessection.


RESULTS
SLN was identified in 91 patients. The total number of SLN identified was one in 54 cases(59.3%), 2 in 23 cases(25.3%) and > or = 3 in 14 cases(15.4%). In 24 of the 91 patients, SLN was positive for metastasis. In 13 the 24 patients, only SLN provided evidence of lymph node metastasis. The sensitivity of SLN biopsy was 87.5%, the specificity was 100%. It had 100% positive predictability and 95.7% negative predictability of lymph node metastasis. The accuracy rate of intraoperative imprint cytology examination of SLN was 92.1%, with a false negative rate of 10.0% and a false positive rate of 7.1%. The accuracy rate of frozen-section examination of SLN was 98.7% during operation, with a false negative rate of 5.0% but without false positive result. Immunohistochemical assay did not help demonstrate metastasis in SLN negative on routine pathologic examination.


CONCLUSIONS
The SLN status can generally be a representation of axillary metastasis, SLNB is useful to determine the extent of axillary dessection in cN0 breast cancer patients. Methylene blue is as effective as patent blue-V in the identification of SLN.
Zuo
W
W
Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Jinan 250117, China.
Wang
Y
Y
Li
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*