[Comparative study of sentinel node biopsy in patients with multifocal breast carcinoma versus in those with unifocal breast carcinoma.].
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.
Solá
M
M
Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Universitario Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, España. msola.germanstrias@gencat.net
Fraile
M
M
Mariscal
A
A
Julián
F J
FJ
Gubern
J M
JM
Culell
P
P
Puig
P
P
Peñalva
G
G
Deulofeu
P
P
Janer
J
J
Vallès
A
A
Encinas
X
X
Calvo
E
E
Vallejos
V
V
Milà
M
M
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