[Lymphoscintigraphy in sentinel lymph node biopsy of breast cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of lymphoscintigraphy in sentinel lymph node biopsy of breast cancer.


METHODS
Lymphoscintigraphy was performed after peritumoral or subdermal injection of radioactive colloid. Then, sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy guided by gamma detector probe was performed. Factors correlated with identification-detection rate were assessed.


RESULTS
Lymphatic drainage was present in preoperative lymphoscintigraphy in 88(93%) out of 95 patients, with 39 (44.3%) positive for lymphatic drainage other than in the axilla. A total of 91 (95.8%) patients had their SLN identified in the intraoperative procedure. The quality of lymphoscintigraphic image was closely related to SLN identification-detection rate in the intraoperative procedure (P = 0.025).


CONCLUSIONS
Sentinel lymph node outside the axilla can be detected by lymphoscintigraphy. The combination of lymphoscintigraphy and gamma detector probe for sentinel lymph node biopsy of breast cancer not only is acceptable but promising.
Zhang
Jie
J
Department of Breast Surgery and Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Hospital (Institute), Fu Dan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Shen
Kunwei
K
Nirmal
Lamichhane
L
Liu
Guangyu
G
Wu
Jiong
J
Zhang
Yingjian
Y
Du
Huifeng
H
Pan
Zhangchi
Z
Shao
Zhimin
Z
Shen
Zhenzhou
Z
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy