[Radioimmuno-guided surgery (RIGS) in breast disease]

Radioimmunoguided surgery is a new technology capable of detecting minimal neoplastic lesions using radiocolloids. We used this technique in two fields: to detect sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer and to remove non-palpable breast lesions. Radioimmunoguided surgery was employed in 135 women; in 32 for sentinel lymph nodes and in 103 for radioguided occult lesion localization using a radioactive tracer (Technetium Tc99m) injected subdermally for sentinel nodes, or near to the non-palpable lesions under US guidance. In our experience these two applications of radioimmunoguided surgery are useful and accurate for determining the nature of lesions and for providing definitive treatment in a single surgical intervention.