title: Methylene blue dye versus combined dye-radioactive tracer technique for sentinel lymph node localisation in early breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study compared the accuracy and success rate of two techniques, methylene blue alone versus combined methylene blue and radioactive colloid in sentinel lymph node localisation in the management early breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and twenty-nine patients with tumours less than 2 cm on ultrasound assessment were prospectively evaluated. One hundred and seventy-three patients (Group A) underwent sentinel lymph node localisation using 1 ml of 1% methylene blue. A combined technique of both methylene blue and radioactive colloid was used in 156 patients (Group B). Application of both was subdermal and subareolar. Sentinel lymph nodes were examined by standard microscopy. Patients underwent breast conservation surgery or mastectomy and sentinel node guided four node axillary sampling+/-clearance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Group A, the sentinel lymph node identification rate was 96.5%. The negative predictive value was 96.3%, with false negative of 3.7% and accuracy of 87.4%. In group B the identification rate for sentinel lymph node was 98.7%, with false negative of 4.1%, negative predictive value of 96%, and accuracy of 83.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sentinel lymph node localisation using methylene blue or combined dye and radioactive tracer technique predicts the axillary lymph node status in early breast cancer with comparable success rates, accuracy and false negative rates. The combined technique facilitates quicker identification of sentinel lymph node; however the dye technique alone can be used successfully in centres without nuclear medicine facilities.
authors.affiliation: Breast Unit, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. drphilipv90@yahoo.com
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varghese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mostafa
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Abdel-Rahman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akberali
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gattuso
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canizales
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carpenter
mesh_terms: D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003102:Colloids; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008751:Methylene Blue; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D013667:Technetium
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D013667:Technetium; D008751:Methylene Blue