title: [Comparative study of sentinel node biopsy in patients with multifocal breast carcinoma versus in those with unifocal breast carcinoma.].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the results for sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in patients with multifocal breast cancer (MBC) in comparison to in those with unifocal breast cancer (UBC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1535 prospective SNB (174 on patients with MBC) were performed at 9 hospitals. In most patients, Tc-99m albumin colloids were injected intraparenchymally into each tumoral focus for SNB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall identification rate was 93.8%; no differences between groups were observed (94.8% in MBC vs 93.4% in UBC). The mean number of sentinel nodes detected was 1.46, being higher in the MBC group than in the UBC group (1.58 vs 1.45; p=0.036). Extra-axillary sentinel nodes were found in 19.6%; extra-axillary sentinel nodes were more common in the MBC group (23.4% vs 18.9%, ns) and in the internal mammary chain and in level III axillary lymph nodes. The incidence of sentinel node metastasis was 27.3% (29.1% MBC vs 26.7% UBC, ns), and the mean number of positive sentinel nodes was 0.42 in the MBC group vs 0.32 in the UBC group (p=ns). Axillary dissection identified the same rate of positive additional nodes (29.7%) in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnostic yield of SNB seems similar in MBC and UBC. In MBC, there appears to be a specific pattern of lymphatic drainage, with a higher number of sentinel nodes detected and probably a higher number of extra-axillary sentinel nodes.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Universitario Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, España. msola.germanstrias@gencat.net
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solá
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fraile
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mariscal
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Julián
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gubern
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Culell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peñalva
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deulofeu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Janer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallès
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Encinas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vallejos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milà
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D055815:Young Adult