ObjectiveTo explore the value of fluorescence tracer technique in sentinel lymph node (SLN) orientation of cN0 papillary thyroid cancer. MethodsThe total clinical data of 40 cT1-3N0M0 thyroid cancer patients admitted from January 2015 to January 2016 in our hospital were collected, and the SLN with indocyanine green (ICG) as fluorescent trace agent were observed and detected, and the effect of ICG detecting SLN and the guide role of SLNB on the dissection of the central area of neck lymph nodes by intraoperative frozen biopsy pathology and postoperative paraffin pathology were analyzed. ResultsA total of 40 thyroid cancer patients were treated by SLNB and then conducted by the dissection of the central area of neck lymph nodes, and 37 cases detected SLN, so the detection rate was 92.5% (37/40). And a total of 98 SLNs were detected, 1-5 for each case, average of 2.65/case. Intraoperative frozen pathological detected 28 cases of patients with metastases in SLN, and 9 patients without metastasis, including 1 case with postoperative pathology detecting micrometastasis in SLN and other 8 cases without metastasis in the central area of neck lymph nodes. Three cases who were not detected the SLN showed no metastases in final postoperative paraffin pathology. The SLNB of ICG fluorescent tracer was with a sensitivity of 96.6% (28/29), false-negative rate of 3.45% (1/29). ConclusionThe fluorescent tracer technique can guide the dissection of the central of neck lymph node of cN0 thyroid cancer patients accurately with a high detection rate and advantages of high sensitivity in detecting the SLN of thyroid cancer.
ObjectiveTo review the recent studies about sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer.MethodsThe literatures in recent years on the history, concept, technique and clinical application of sentinel lymph node biopsy were reviewed and summarized.ResultsThere was no unified method for sentinel lymph node biopsy. There was a wide range of detection rate and falsenegative rate.ConclusionProspective multicenter random clinical trials will help to evaluate the clinical application of sentinel lymph node biopsy.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the quality of life after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with breast cancer. MethodsFrom January 2004 to December 2006, 591 patients with breast cancer who were suitable for SLNB were divided into SLNB group (n=339) and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) group (n=252). All patients didn’t have the upper extremity joints disease, the vascular nerve disease, and the cervical spondylosis previously. Results①In patients with SLNB, the circumferences of upper arm in one, two, and three weeks after operation were similar to those before operation (P=0.232, P=0.318, and P=0.415, respectively). While, in patients with ALND, the circumferences of upper arm in one or two weeks after operation were significantly bigger than those before operation (P=0.011, P=0.041, respectively), and the circumference in three weeks after operation was similar to that before operation (P=0.290). ②In patients with SLNB, the outreach angles of shoulder joint in one and two weeks after operation were significantly smaller than those before operation (P=0.031, P=0.043, respectively), and the angle in three weeks after operation was similar to that before operation (P=0.196). However, in patients with ALND, the angles in one, two or three weeks after operation were significantly smaller than those before operation (all Plt;0.001). ③The retention time of drainage tube in patients with ALND who received breast conserving surgery or mastectomy was significantly longer than that in patients with SLNB who received mastectomy (all Plt;0.001). ④The infection rate and the sensory disjunction rate in patients with ALND were significantly higher than those in patients with SLNB (P=0.002, Plt;0.001, respectively). ConclusionsFor patients with lymph node negative breast cancer, SLNB could decrease postoperative complications, and improve the quality of life. It could also save money by reducing hospital stay.
ObjectiveTo investigate the differences between indocyanine green (ICG) plus methylene blue and radioactive nuclide plus methylene blue for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients. Methods A total of 77 breast cancer patients who accepted SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after NAC from June 2017 to February 2019 were involved, among them, 46 breast cancer patients accepted SLNB by ICG plus methylene blue and 31 breast cancer patients accepted SLNB by radioactive nuclide plus methylene blue, pathological and clinical data were collected and analyzed.ResultsThere were 43 patients in the ICG plus methylene blue group and 30 patients in radioactive nuclide plus methylene blue group, which totally 73 patients were detected at least one sentinel lymph node in all the 77 patients, and the detection rate was 94.80%. The SLN detected rate, SLN detected numbers, sensitivity, false negative rate, and accuracy of the ICG plus methylene blue group were 93.48% (43/46), 2.32 per case, 82.61% (19/23), 17.39% (4/23), and 90.70% (39/43) respectively, as well as 96.77% (30/31), 2.6 per case, 83.33% (10/12), 16.67% (2/10), and 93.33% (28/30) in the radioactive nuclide plus methylene blue group. There was no significant difference between the ICG plus methylene blue group and radioactive nuclide plus methylene blue group in terms of SLN detected rate, SLN detected numbers, sensitivity, false negative rate, and accuracy (P>0.05).ConclusionICG plus methylene blue showed similar SLN detection rate, SLN detected numbers, sensitivity, false negative rate, and accuracy as radioactive nuclide plus methylene blue for SLNB in breast cancer patients after NAC, and both of them can be performed easily and conveniently.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of sentinel lymph node biopsy following total mastectomy on immunologic function and prognosis for patients with early breast cancer. MethodsTwo hundred and eleven patients with early breast cancer were entered in this study. In all these cases, the results of sentinel lymph node biopsy were negative. These patients were randomly divided into control group and research group. In 86 cases of control group, the sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary lymph node dissection following total mastectomy was performed. In 125 cases of research group, the sentinel lymph node biopsy following total mastectomy was performed. The injury of shoulder joint function was analyzed in one year after surgery. The changes of T cell subsets and IL-2 level were detected in the patients respectively on the first day before operation, the second week after operation, and the fourth week after operation. Postoperative fatality rate and postoperative recurrence rate were also observed in two groups. Results①The points of shoulder joint function in the control group and the research group were 72.7±6.5 and 93.5±8.2 respectively, there was an obvious difference (P < 0.05).②The injury degree of shoulder joint function in the research group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.01).③Compared with the control group, the changes of T cell subsets and the IL-2 level had no significant differences in the research group on day 1 before operation and on week 2 after operation (P > 0.05). On the fourth week after surgery, the CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, and IL-2 level in the research group were obviously higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). However, the percentage of CD8+ T cell in the research group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05).④There were no significant differences for postoperative fatality rate and postoperative recurrence rate between two groups (P > 0.05). ConclusionsSentinel lymph node biopsy for patients with early breast cancer is safe and reliable. With respect to conventional axillary lymph node dissection, it could improve immune function and quality of life after surgery in patients with early breast cancer.
Objective To explore the clinical value of only using blue dye as tracer in the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) of breast cancer. Methods SLNB was performed with the guidance of the combination of blue dye and isotope in all patients enrolled. SLNB data of blue dye only, and the combination method was recorded respectively for analyses. Results Three hundred and eight patients were enrolled in this prospective study. Significant differences were found in the identification rate (IDR, 93.5% vs. 99.4%, P=0.000), the false negative rate (FNR, 14.8% vs. 3.3%, P=0.007), the accuracy rate (AR, 89.6% vs. 97.8%, P=0.006), and the negative predictive value (NPV, 74.0% vs. 93.3%, P=0.012) between the blue dye alone and the combination method. The IDR and the FNR of the two methods were not significantly associated with the patient age, tumor size and location, histopathological type, type of biopsy and breast surgery, or ER, PR, and HER-2 status (all Pgt;0.05). The FNR of blue dye alone was significantly associated with clinically suspicious turgescence of axillary lymph nodes (P=0.042) and decreased followed by the increased number of sentinel lymph nodes obtained (P=0.000). Conclusions Compared with the combination method, SLNB guided with blue dye alone had significantly poorer IDR, AR, and NPV, and higher FNR. It is recommended that the combination of dye and isotope should be adopted for the guidance of SLNB in clinical practice rather than the use of blue dye alone.
ObjectiveTo explore the influence of sentinel lymph node (SLN) status on the prognosis of elderly breast cancer patients ≥70 years old, and to screen patients who may be exempted from sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), so as to guide clinical individualized treatment for such patients. MethodsA retrospective analysis was made on 270 breast cancer patients aged ≥70 years old who underwent SLNB in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from 2012 to 2021. The clinicopathological characteristics of the total cases were compared according to the status of SLN. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve, and the influence of SLN status on the overall survival (OS) time, local recurrence (LR) and distant metastasis (DM) of patients were analyzed, and used log-rank to compare between groups. At the same time, the patients with hormone receptor (HR) positive were analyzed by subgroup. The differences between groups were compared by single factor χ2 test, and multivariate Cox regression model was used to analyze and determine the factors affecting OS, LR and DM of patients. ResultsThe age of 270 patients ranged from 70 to 95 years, with a median age of 74 years. One hundred and sixty-nine (62.6%) patients’ tumor were T2 stage. Invasive ductal carcinoma accounted for 83.0%, histological gradeⅡ accounted for 74.4%, estrogen receptor positive accounted for 78.1%, progesterone receptor positive accounted for 71.9%, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative accounted for 83.3%. The number of SLNs obtained by SLNB were 1-9, and the median was 3. SLN was negative in 202 cases (74.8%) and positive in 68 cases (25.2%). Thirty-five patients (13.0%) received axillary lymph node dissection. There was no significant difference in LR between the SLN positive group and the SLN negative group (P>0.05), but the SLN negative group had fewer occurrences of DM (P=0.001) and longer OS time (P=0.009) compared to the SLN positive group. The results of univariate and multivariate analysis suggest that the older the patient, the shorter the OS time and the greater the risk of DM. Analysis of HR positive subgroups showed that SLN status did not affect patient survival and prognosis, but age was still associated with poor OS time and DM. ConclusionsFor patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of breast in T1-T2 stage, HR positive, clinical axillary lymph nodes negative, and age ≥70 years old, SLNB may be exempted. According to the patient’s performance or tumor biological characteristics, patients who need systemic adjuvant chemotherapy may still consider SLNB.
Objective To investigate the value of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in predicting the metastasis of central cervical lymph nodes (CCLN) in differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and to explore reasonable program for CCLN dissection. Methods This retrospective analysis was performed basing on the clinical data of 407 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma who were admitted to the Department of General Surgery of Xuanwu Hospital from June 2013 to December 2016, including 237 patients with microcarcinoma. Results ① The results of the lymph nodes detection. All patients had detected 7 766 lymph nodes (1 238 metastatic lymph nodes were detected from 219 patients), and 2 085 sentinel lymph nodes were detected (448 metastatic sentinel lymph nodes were detected from 189 patients). In the patients with microcarcinoma, there were 3 614 lymph nodes were detected (390 metastatic lymph nodes were detected from 97 patients), and 1 202 sentinel lymph nodes were detected (149 metastatic sentinel lymph nodes were detected from 82 patients). ② The value of SLNB to predict CCLN metastasis. The sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, false negative rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of SLNB to predict CCLN metastasis for all patients was 86.30% (189/219), 100% (188/188), 0 (0/189), 13.70% (30/219), 100% (189/189), and 86.24% (188/218) respectively; for patients with microcarcinoma was 84.54% (82/97), 100% (140/140), 0 (0/82), 15.46% (15/97), 100% (82/82), and 90.32% (140/155), respectively. ③ The value of SLNB to predict the presence of additional positive lymph nodes (APLN). The sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, false negative rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of SLNB to predict the APLN for all patients was 81.48% (132/162), 76.73% (188/245), 23.27% (57/245), 18.52% (30/162), 69.84% (132/189) and 86.24% (188/218), respectively; for patients with microcarcinoma was 73.68% (42/57), 77.78% (140/180), 22.22% (40/180), 26.32% (15/57), 51.22% (42/82) and 90.32% (140/155) respectively. ④ The value of positive sentinel lymph node ratio (PSLNR) to predict the presence of the APLN. The sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, false negative rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of PSLNR to predict the APLN for all patients was 71.97%, 78.95%, 21.05%, 28.03%, 88.79%, and 54.88% respectively, and the cutoff for PSLNR was 0.345 2. For patients with microcarcinoma, the sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, false negative rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of PSLNR to predict the APLN was 83.33%, 67.50%, 32.50%, 16.67%, 72.92%, and 79.41% respectively, and the cutoff for PSLNR was 0.291 7. Conclusion There is an important predicted value of SLNB for CCLN dissection in the patients suffered from differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and the PSLNR is a reliable basis for CCLN dissection.