Outcome of sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer using dye alone: a single center review with a median follow-up of 5 years.
OBJECTIVE
Various techniques are used for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in breast cancer. While subareolar injection with dye alone is a relatively easy method, few studies have reported the outcome with a follow-up period. This study presents our results of SLNB using dye alone.


METHODS
Between November 2002 and December 2010, 701 patients with breast cancer underwent SLNB using subareolar injection of indocyanine green or indigo carmine. Sentinel lymph node (SLN)-negative patients were followed without axillary lymph node dissection (ALND).


RESULTS
SLNs were detected in 654 of 701 patients (93.3%), and the rate increased to 98.1% over the course of the study. The mean number of SLNs removed was 1.5. There was no significant difference in the detection rate between two dyes. No adverse events resulted from the injection of dyes. Of the 654 patients, 136 (20.8%) had SLN metastasis. Five hundred patients were followed without ALND. Thirty-six patients experienced disease relapse during a median follow-up of 60 months. Thirteen patients (2.6%) had regional lymph node relapse, and eight of them could undergo salvage lymph node dissection. The 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 92.4 and 96.1 %, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
SLNB using subareolar injection with dye alone was safe and feasible even after a long follow-up.
Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Osaka City General Hospital, 2-13-22 Miyakojima-hondori, Miyakojima-ku, Osaka, 534-0021, Japan, yoshinari@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp.
Yoshinari
Y
Ogawa
Katsumi
K
Ikeda
Kana
K
Ogisawa
Shinya
S
Tokunaga
Hiroko
H
Fukushima
Takeshi
T
Inoue
Yoshihiro
Y
Mori
Akiko
A
Tachimori
Toru
T
Inoue
Yukio
Y
Nishiguchi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007203:Indigo Carmine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007208:Indocyanine Green / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007267:Injections; D008875:Middle Aged; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
D004396:Coloring Agents; D007203:Indigo Carmine; D007208:Indocyanine Green