title: [Sentinel lymph node biopsy technique in colon cancer. Experience in 125 cases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The level of lymph node involvement is the most important factor in staging colorectal cancer without metastasis. Sentinel lymph node mapping identifies the node(s) that most accurately reflect the lymph node status of patients, and intensive techniques that improve staging can be focused on these nodes. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of ex vivo sentinel lymph node mapping in the staging of colon cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted on 125 patients from the Alava-Txagorritxu University Hospital Health Region (Alava), who were diagnosed prior to surgery with colon cancer without distant metastasis from September 2009 to December 2011. Ex vivo sentinel lymph node mapping with methylene blue was use in these patients to study the sentinel nodes with multiple slices using immunohistochemical techniques and haematoxylin-eosin staining. A comparative study was also performed based on a control group of 170 patients staged with conventional techniques, and involving a single slice and haematoxylin-eosin staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sentinel lymph node identification rate was 98%, with 5.6% false negatives. Upstaging occurred in 14.2% of cases compared to the group studied using conventional techniques (P=.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ex vivo sentinel lymph node mapping with methylene blue accurately reflects the lymph node status of patients with colon cancer. This approach upstages patients classified as stages i and ii by conventional techniques to stage iii, indicating chemotherapy that may improve their prognosis.
authors: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital Universitario de Álava - Txagorritxu, Vitoria-Gasteiz, España. mcuadracestafe@wanadoo.es
authors: José Domingo
authors: JD
authors: Sardón Ramos
authors: José
authors: J
authors: Errasti Alustiza
authors: Eugenia
authors: E
authors: Campo Cimarras
authors: Baltasar
authors: B
authors: Cermeño Toral
authors: José Antonio
authors: JA
authors: Romeo Ramírez
authors: Jaione
authors: J
authors: Sáenz de Ugarte Sobrón
authors: Begoña
authors: B
authors: Atares Pueyo
authors: Virginia
authors: V
authors: Moreno Nieto
authors: María
authors: M
authors: Cuadra Cestafe
authors: Erika
authors: E
authors: Miranda Serrano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy