Methodological issues of sentinel lymph nodes biopsy in patients with breast cancer

Abstract

Radionuclide imaging of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) was performed in 122 breast cancer patients, which before the biopsy of lymph nodes it was performed intratumoral injection of colloidal radiopharmaceuticals (RFP): in 89 patients—nanocolloidal (NC) and in 33—colloidal with particle size from 200 to 1000 nm. After the introduction of NC the SLN image was obtained in 83 of 89 women. (93.3%). After the introduction of large colloids (200-1000 nm or more) SLN visualization in this group was achieved in 27 of 33 patients, i.e., in 81.8% of cases (p <0.05). Along with the axillary SLN, in 55.8% of cases SLN image was obtained in parasternal area and/or lymph nodes of the second and higher orders in axillary as well as under-and supraclavicular regions. On the contrary while using larger colloids, RFP accumulated only in SLN of axillary region in 85.1%. These differences in the topography of the absorption of various diameters radiocolloids were reliable (p = 0.01). Using the NC RFN compared with colloidal RFP of larger diameter can reliably improve SLN visualization till 98.9% however leads to a concomitant accumulation of RFP in lymph nodes of the second order in 55.8% of patients.