Clinical value of postoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy

[Complications and their management following axillary, inguinal and iliac lymph node dissection]

Irrespective of numerous technical developments, lymphadenectomy remains a necessary component of surgical tumor therapy. Depending on the extent and anatomical localization, complications associated with the lymph vessels such as lymphoceles, lymphatic fistulas or secondary lymphedema can occur with varying frequency, despite a meticulous dissection technique. Chronic lymph fistulas or lymphoceles often require interventional or surgical procedures. Pedicled or free microsurgical flaps are often required in the case of coexisting wound healing disorders or skin soft tissue defects, especially in an irradiated area. For secondary lymphedema a number of conservative and surgical treatment methods have been established. Adequate guideline-based conservative treatment is the method of first choice. If this does not lead to the desired result, microsurgical reconstructive, deviating or resecting procedures are available.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy should be considered for clinically node-negative breast cancer regardless of BRCA1/2 mutation status

Background

BRCA1/2 mutations lead to an elevated risk of breast cancer. None involved in whether BRCA1/2 mutation status will affect the first decision-making of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy or not for clinically node-negative breast cancer. We retrospectively investigated whether BRCA1/2 mutation status influenced SLN involvement rate and survival outcomes after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for Chinese clinically node-negative breast cancer patients.

Methods

Patients who underwent SLNB at initial were enrolled and divided according to BRCA1/2 mutation status. Germline DNA for BRCA1/2 testing was derived from blood samples. SLN involvement rate and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed using the Chi-square test. Kaplan–Meier univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to compare survival between groups.

Results

According to BRCA1/2 mutation test criteria, 156 Chinese women receiving initial SLNB with clinically node-negative breast cancer were selected—thirty-one patients identified as BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and 102 as non-carriers were enrolled. Non-carriers seemed to be with a more advanced TNM stage (P<0.01) compared to the non-carrier group. Once SLN involved, the patient will receive axillary lymph node dissection in which BRCA1/2 mutation did not increase the rate (P=0.73). Disease-free survival (DFS) (P=0.48) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (P=0.79) are comparable between groups, even after adjustment for clinicopathological characteristics, systemic treatment, and surgical management of breast [DFS, hazard ratio (HR) =1.63, confidence interval (CI): 0.48–5.54, P=0.43; RFS, HR =0.75, CI: 0.14–3.89, P=0.73].

Conclusions

SLNB should be considered for clinically node-negative breast cancer regardless of BRCA1/2 status.

Comparison of indocyanine green fluorescence and methylene blue dye in the detection of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer

Background

Previous studies have shown that sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) can be successfully performed using methylene blue (MB); however, this method still has some drawbacks. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging, as a selective method, has the potential for guiding SLNB. This study aimed to compare the clinical sensitivity and efficacy between ICG and MB in SLNB in breast cancer.

Methods

A prospective study of 70 patients with biopsy-proven invasive breast cancer was conducted. Under the guidance of ICG and MB, administered by injection, SLNs were examined and removed. The detection rates, total number of SLNs detected, mean number of SLNs detected, and number of positive SLNs were compared between ICG and MB.

Results

The SLN detection rate was 100% and 93% (65/70) for ICG and MB, respectively. More SLNs were detected in the ICG group (243) than in the MB group (169). The mean number of SLNs detected with ICG and MB was 3.5±1.73 and 2.4±1.49, respectively. Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference between the number of SLNs detected using the two methods (t=6.648, P<0.05). Additionally, SLN metastasis was detected in 18 patients using ICG and 14 patients using MB; these patients immediately underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). No postoperative complications were reported.

Conclusions

ICG demonstrated a higher detection rate and better accuracy, as well as a lower false negative rate, than MB in detecting SLNs in breast cancer. ICG has potential as an alternative tool that could be clinically applied to detect SLNs in breast cancer patients.

Does sentinel lymph node biopsy for screening high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast cause more harm than good?

PURPOSE

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast does not metastasize to axillary lymph nodes. Yet high-grade DCIS (HgDCIS) is often subjected to Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) concomitant with definitive surgery. This is to avoid further axillary surgery in the event of upstaging to invasive carcinoma, which often entails Axillary Lymph Node Dissection (ALND). We wished to examine the validity of this approach.

METHODS

This study includes a retrospective analysis of consecutive pre-operatively diagnosed HgDCIS patients from a single screening unit between December/2014 and August/2016. The main outcomes were the overall incidence of upstaging and the independent predictors of upstaging on multivariable analysis. The rates of various complications of SLNB vs ALND in four RCTs were used to calculate the upstaging rate below which SLNB could be safely omitted.

RESULTS

There were 224 eligible patients of whom 26 (11.6%) were upstaged. Axillary metastasis (pN1) occurred in two patients (0.9%). On Univariable analysis, upstaged patients were significantly younger (median (IQR) = 56.0 (51.0-63) vs 60.0 (54.0-65.0); p = 0.019). Radiological size, pathological size, type of biopsy, type of operation, and comedo-necrosis were not significant (p > 0.05). On multivariable analysis, age as a continuous variable (OR 0.93; p = 0.031) and core biopsy (OR 2.62; p = 0.036) were the only independent predictors of upstaging. Chi-square test showed that patients < 55 years whose pre-operative diagnosis was made on core biopsy were at significantly higher risk of upstaging than the others (31.8% vs 9.4%; p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Upstaging of HgDCIS is infrequent. According to the known rates of complications of SLNB relative to ALND, routine SLNB concomitant with surgery seems to be more harmful than its routine omission. A selective approach based on age and type of biopsy could be considered.