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The Application of 1% Methylene Blue Dye As a Single Technique in Breast Cancer Sentinel Node Biopsy
Published on: June 1, 2019
Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer
1Department of Surgery and the Vermont Cancer Center, University of Vermont, College of Medicine, Given Bldg., Room E309, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
Breast Disease
|February 3, 2005
Summary
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is an accurate staging method for node-negative breast cancer. Ongoing trials compare its effectiveness against standard axillary dissection for regional control and survival.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has become a standard procedure for staging clinically node-negative breast cancer.
- SLNB offers high accuracy (95-100%) with acceptable false-negative rates (0-15%) in pathological staging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy and role of sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer staging.
- To compare SLNB effectiveness with standard axillary dissection in ongoing clinical trials.
Main Methods:
- Review of single and multi-institutional studies confirming SLNB accuracy.
- Utilization of vital blue dyes, radioactive isotopes, or combined methods for sentinel lymph node identification.
- Ongoing National Cancer Institute-supported Phase III clinical trials comparing SLNB to axillary dissection.
Main Results:
- Multiple studies demonstrate high accuracy (95-100%) and reasonable false-negative rates (0-15%) for SLNB in breast cancer staging.
- Commonly employed techniques include vital blue dyes and radioactive isotopes.
Conclusions:
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a highly accurate method for staging clinically node-negative breast cancer.
- Ongoing large-scale clinical trials will further define the role of SLNB in regional disease control and patient survival compared to axillary dissection.
