title: Validity of sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection following adjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
abstract: The effect of preoperative radio chemotherapy on lymphatic drainage and intraoperative gamma probe-guided sentinel lymph node detection has yet not been investigated. In this study, we study 13 patients with SCC. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) imaging of the patients was performed using SPECT-CT. Special care was taken to use identical injection sites for both studies. Imaging comprised planar and SPECT, iterative reconstruction and were viewed with the co-registered CT image. The results were validated by comparison with the histological results of intraoperative gamma probe detection and histology of the completed neck dissection. Identical SLNs were found in 6/13 patients. In 2/13 cases SLN biopsies were false-negative. In 4/13 patients preoperative SLN imaging identified more/additional nodes than the initial imaging, whereas fewer nodes were seen in 3/13 patients. Neither the primary tumor site nor the TNM stage was predictive for changes in the lymphatic drainage pattern. No constant effect of irradiation could be demonstrated. Preoperative radio chemotherapy has an unpredictable influence on the lymphatic drainage pattern in HNSCC. Consequently, the intraoperative gamma probe-guided sentinel lymph node detection after radio chemotherapy does not reveal the SLN of carcinogenesis. Thus, we advise fused functional/anatomical imaging (SPECT-CT) before and after radiochemotherapy if the SLN concept is utilized in HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kermer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zettinig
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schicho
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Noebauer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kainberger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Selzer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leitha
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon