New simplified lymphoscintigraphic technique in patients with breast cancer

To achieve the visualization of regional lymph nodes using lymphoscintigraphy, 100 preoperative patients with breast cancer were studied, with [99mTc]rhenium colloid having been injected into the periosteum of their ribs. In order to identify the exact location of the visualized nodes, the obtained lymphoscintigram was superimposed onto the patient's chest roentgenogram. The visibility of the internal mammary region was 91% on the affected side, and 93% on the healthy side, whereas the visibility of the axillary region was 85% and 86%, respectively. The injection resulted in simultaneous visualization of both the internal mammary and the axillary nodes: in our series, it meant the visualization of 82 patients (82%) on the affected side and 83 patients (83%) on the healthy side. Our technique appears to be a rather efficient method for imaging the regional lymph nodes in breast cancer patients.