[Sentinel node biopsy in the staging of breast carcinoma. Radiation-guided surgery of sentinel nodes]

During the period between January and August 1999 the authors performed in 26 patients with breast cancer stage T1 to T3, N0 to N1b preoperative identification and histological examination of the sentinel node as compared with examination of samples of the axillary lymph nodes. In the examined group the sentinel node and all other nodes were oncologically negative in 57.6% of cases, both were oncologically positive in 23% cases In 3.8% the sentinel node was oncologically positive and the other nodes were oncologically negative. In 15.4% it did not prove possible to identify the sentinel node. The authors did not record any case of false negativity of the sentinel node. In the authors opinion the use of the sentinel node for staging of breast cancer in early stages is a perspective method which makes it possible to eliminate standard dissection of the axilla and thus permanent sequelae for the patient. The authors are aware that the group of their patients is small but the results do not differ from those reported recently in the literature abroad.