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.
ObjectiveTo summarize the research progress of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in the surgery of thyroid carcinoma in recent years. MethodsLiteratures about the recent studies on categories of SLNB and the neck lymph node dissection conducted by SLNB in the surgery of thyroid carcinoma were reviewed following the results searched from PubMed and CNKI data base. ResultsSLNB has a high detection rate and it is of great significance to detect the occult metastatic lymph nodes and guide the neck lymph node dissection during operation. ConclusionThe SLNB, with its high accuracy rate on the detection of occult metastatic lymph nodes, guides neck lymph node dissection during operation in order that it can maximize the benefits of patients.
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.
Objective To identify the feasibility of the lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with breast cancer and to examine whether the characteristics of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) accurately predict the status of axillary lymph node.MethodsFrom March to October 2000, 32 patients with breast cancer were evaluated at the Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital. Lymphatic mapping was performed using Methlene Blue. A SLN was defined as any blue node. Thirtytwo patients, with breast cancer underwent a complete axillary lymph node resection (ALNR) following SLN biopsy. Subsequently, all SLNs and ALNs were examined by both Hamp;E staining as well as immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin. ResultsLymphatic mapping was successful in identifying the SLN in 26/32(81.25%) cases of nodes at level Ⅰ. Of the 26 patients mapped successfully, 10 had metastasis to the SLNs.In 3 cases that SLNs were positive, but other axillary lymph nodes were negative. In 2 cases that the SLNs were negative, but other axillary lymph nodes were positive. The sensitivity of SLNB using Methlene Blue in this study was 77.78%(7/9), accuracy 80.77%(21/26), specificity 82.35%(14/17), and false negative rate 22.22%(2/9). ConclusionSLN can predict the status of the axillary lymph nodes reliably. However, the efficacy of SLNB in the setting of randomized, prospective trials must be tested first before abandoning axillary lymph node resection as the standard of care.
ObjectiveTo investigate the metastatic status and risk factors of axillary non-sentinel lymph node (NSLN) in breast cancer patients with 1–2 positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLN), and to provide theoretical basis for exemption of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in these patients. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 54 patients diagnosed with breast cancer who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and confirmed to have 1–2 positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNS) and received ALND in the Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery of Tongling People’s Hospital from January 2018 to April 2023. The patients were divided into NSLN metastatic group (17 cases) and NSLN non-metastatic group (37 cases) according to whether there was metastasis. Chi-square test was used to compare the basic information and clinicpathological features of the two groups. The independent risk factors for axillary NSLN metastasis were screened out by multivariate binary logistic regression model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of independent risk factors combined with axillary NSLN metastasis. Results There were 54 cases with 1–2 metastasis of SLN, 17 cases with axillary NSLN metastasis (31.5%). The incidence of axillary NSLN metastasis in patients with tumor at T1 stage (maximum diameter ≤2 cm) was only 14.3% (4/28), however, the metastatic rate of axillary NSLN in patients with tumor in T2–T3 stage (maximum diameter >2 cm) was as high as 50.0% (13/26). The axillary NSLN metastasis rate was only 21.2% (7/33) with 1 SLN metastasis, while the axillary NSLN metastasis rate was 47.6% (10/21) with 2 SLN metastasis. Univariate analysis showed that T stage (tumor diameter >2 cm), 2 SLN metastases, number of SLN >5 and tumor with vascular embolus were more likely to develop axillary NSLN metastases (P<0.05). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that T stage (tumor diameter >2 cm) and 2 SLN metastases were independent risk factors for axillary NSLN metastasis in breast cancer patients, the area under ROC curve of combined prediction of axillary NSLN metastasis by the two was 0.747, 95%CI was (0.657, 0.917), sensitivity was 0.765 and specificity was 0.649. Conclusions The combination of tumor T stage and the number of SLN metastases can better predict axillary NSLN metastasis in breast cancer patients. ALND is recommended for breast cancer patients with T stage (tumor diameter >2 cm) and 2 SLN metastases to reduce the risk of residual axillary NSLN metastasis.
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.