Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026
07:51
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 involvement--a predictor for axillary node status with breast cancer--has the time come?
1Breast Cancer Service, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Summary
Identifying sentinel nodes in breast cancer patients can help determine if further axillary lymph node dissection is needed. This method shows a high correlation with overall lymph node involvement, but pathological analysis time is a challenge.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is crucial for breast cancer staging and prognosis.
- Sentinel nodes are the primary drainage pathway for breast cancer.
- Accurate staging guides treatment decisions for breast cancer patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of sentinel node identification and examination in deciding the necessity of completion axillary lymphadenectomy.
- To assess the correlation between sentinel node status and the involvement of other axillary lymph nodes.
Main Methods:
- A vital dye was injected at the primary tumor site to identify sentinel nodes.
- Sentinel nodes were surgically removed and pathologically examined.
- The study included 98 women with breast cancer.
Main Results:
- Sentinel nodes were successfully identified in 96% of patients.
- An average of 2.7 sentinel nodes were identified per patient.
- 83% correlation was observed between sentinel node and overall axillary node involvement.
- In 14% of cases, sentinel nodes were the only positive nodes.
- In 3 cases, sentinel nodes were negative while other axillary nodes were positive.
Conclusions:
- Sentinel node examination is a valuable tool for assessing axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer.
- The primary limitation for routine clinical application is the time required for pathological analysis of sentinel nodes.
- This technique can potentially reduce the need for comprehensive axillary lymph node dissection in select breast cancer patients.
