title: [Evaluation of the efficacy of sentinel node detection in breast cancer: chronological course and influence of the incorporation of an intra-operative portable gamma camera].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the sentinel node identification rate in breast cancer, the chronological evolution of this parameter and the influence of the introduction of a portable gamma camera.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted using a prospective database of 754 patients who had undergone a sentinel lymph node biopsy between January 2003 and December 2011. The technique was mixed in the starting period and subsequently was performed with radiotracer intra-peritumorally administered the day before of the surgery. Until October 2009, excision of the sentinel node was guided by a probe. After that date, a portable gamma camera was introduced for intrasurgical detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SN was biopsied in 725 out of the 754 patients studied. The resulting technique global effectiveness was 96.2%. In accordance with the year of the surgical intervention, the identification percentage was 93.5% in 2003, 88.7% in 2004, 94.3% in 2005, 95.7% in 2006, 93.3% in 2007, 98.8% in 2008, 97.1% in 2009 and 99.1% in 2010 and 2011. There was a significant difference in the proportion of identification before and after the incorporation of the portable gamma camera of 4.6% (95% CI of the difference 2-7.2%, P = 0.0037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The percentage of global identification exceeds the recommended level following the current guidelines. Chronologically, the improvement for this parameter during the study period has been observed. These data suggest that the incorporation of a portable gamma camera had an important role.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, España. Electronic address: elena.goni.girones@navarra.es.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goñi Gironés
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vicente García
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Serra Arbeloa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Estébanez Estébanez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calvo Benito
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rodrigo Rincón
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camarero Salazar
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Martínez Lozano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Biopsia del ganglio centinela; Breast cancer; Cáncer de mama; Gammacámara portátil; Instrumentación; Instrumentation; Linfogammagrafía; Lymphoscintigraphy; Portable gamma camera; Sentinel lymph node biopsy