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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 node biopsy and large (≥3 cm) breast cancer
Jesse D Beumer1, Grantley Gill, Ian Campbell
1Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
ANZ Journal of Surgery
|April 23, 2013
Summary
Sentinel node biopsy accurately stages the axilla in large breast cancers, showing a low false-negative rate. Further research is needed due to the higher metastasis incidence in larger tumors.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is established for early breast cancer axillary staging.
- Limited data exist on SNB's efficacy in large breast cancers (≥3 cm).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of sentinel node biopsy in staging the axilla for patients with large primary breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 100 patients with clinically node-negative, large breast cancer undergoing SNB and axillary clearance.
- Pathology results of sentinel and non-sentinel lymph nodes were analyzed.
Main Results:
- 65% of patients had axillary lymph node metastases.
- SNB successfully identified the sentinel node in 93% of cases.
- The false-negative rate for SNB was 4.9% in cases with successful identification.
Conclusions:
- Sentinel node biopsy is an accurate method for axillary staging in large breast cancers.
- Higher metastasis rates in larger tumors warrant further prospective investigation.
