Clinical implications of sentinel nodes outside the axilla and internal mammary chain in patients with breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, location, surgical identification rate, tumor status, and clinical implications of sentinel nodes outside the axilla and internal mammary chain.


METHODS
In 785 breast cancer patients, pre-operative lymphoscintigraphy was performed after intratumoral injection of 116 MBq 99mTc-labeled nanocolloid (0.2 ml; 3.1 mCi). Sentinel nodes were pursued using a gamma-ray detection probe and vital blue dye.


RESULTS
Lymphoscintigraphy visualized sentinel nodes outside the axilla and internal mammary chain in 91 of the 785 patients (12%). Sentinel nodes (106) were identified in 80 patients. These nodes were found in the following locations: 50 in the breast, 31 in the infraclavicular fossa, 19 between the pectoral muscles, and 6 within the supraclavicular bed. Eighteen nodes contained a metastasis (17%) and were removed from 16 patients. The treatment strategy was adjusted in 12 of them with the addition of adjuvant local or systemic therapy. Two additional patients with an unusually situated tumor-negative sentinel node were spared an axillary node dissection that would otherwise have been performed.


CONCLUSIONS
Unusually situated sentinel nodes were visualized in 12% of the patients. The treatment was adjusted in 18% of patients in whom these nodes were identified.
van Rijk
Maartje C
MC
Department of Surgery, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.v.rijk@nki.nl
Tanis
Pieter J
PJ
Nieweg
Omgo E
OE
Olmos
Renato A Valdés
RA
Rutgers
Emiel J Th
EJ
Hoefnagel
Cornelis A
CA
Kroon
Bin B R
BB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin
D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; C083602:technetium Tc 99m nanocolloid