Laparoscopic sentinel node navigation surgery for early gastric cancer: a prospective multicenter trial

Prospective multicenter trials have shown the feasibility of sentinel node (SN) navigation surgery using a dual tracer of dye and radioisotope for early gastric cancer. However, comparable trials using the indocyanine green (ICG) and the infrared ray laparoscopic system (IRLS) have not been reported. On the basis of our cohort studies, we assumed that the ICG imaging with the IRLS is as effective as the dual tracer in detecting SNs. Therefore, we conducted a prospective multicenter trial to assess the effectiveness and generalizability of the infrared ICG technique in patients with early gastric cancer.

Patients with previously untreated cT1 gastric adenocarcinomas less than 4 cm in gross diameter were eligible for inclusion in this study. SN mapping was performed by using ICG combined with IRLS technique. Following biopsy of the identified SNs, D2 or modified D2 laparoscopic gastrectomy was performed according to the current Japanese Gastric Cancer Association guidelines.

Among the 47 patients who gave written informed consent, 44 were eligible from the surgical findings, for whom SN biopsy was performed. The detection rate of the lymphatic basin by the ICG with IRLS was 100% (44/44). The accuracy was also 100% (7/7) for detecting metastatic lymph node, which was verified on the permanent pathologic examination. Following the median follow-up of 114 months (range, 60 to 120 months), no recurrence (0/40) was observed. Although the number of patients was unequally distributed among the hospitals participating in the trial, the detection rates of SNs in low-volume hospitals were comparable to those in high-volume hospitals. Consequently, there was no learning curve in this trial.

The infrared ICG imaging accurately detected the lymphatic basin and SNs with occult metastasis in SN-navigated gastrectomy for gastric cancer. This method was feasible even for low-volume surgeons and hospitals.