Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control study

Objective: The necessity of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy before intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of SLN imaging on intraoperative SLN detection in breast cancer patients. Methods: Retrospective, compa...

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Main Authors: Michael J. Reinhardt, Björn Ohmstede, Luz Angela Torres-de la Roche, Rudy Leon De Wilde
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-02-01
Series:Breast
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960977624001875
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author Michael J. Reinhardt
Björn Ohmstede
Luz Angela Torres-de la Roche
Rudy Leon De Wilde
author_facet Michael J. Reinhardt
Björn Ohmstede
Luz Angela Torres-de la Roche
Rudy Leon De Wilde
author_sort Michael J. Reinhardt
collection DOAJ
description Objective: The necessity of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy before intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of SLN imaging on intraoperative SLN detection in breast cancer patients. Methods: Retrospective, comparative, single center study of patients with breast cancer stage pT1 and pT2 who underwent axillary staging. Group 1 included patients who underwent SLN extirpation without preoperative SLN imaging, and Group 2 included patients who underwent SLN imaging prior to surgery. Differences between groups were analyzed using T-test and chi-square test. Results: 926 (mean age: 61.45 years) patients received subdermal injection of radiolabeled nanocolloids between tumor and axilla. SLN was identified intraoperatively in 473 of 498 patients (94.98 %) in group 1, and in 415 of 428 patients (96.96 %) in group 2 (p = 0.129). Lymphoscintigraphy detected SLN in 407 of 428 (95.09 %) patients in group 2. Due to the additional SLN imaging in group 2, the time between radiotracer injection and start of surgery was significantly prolonged (p < 0.001). A reduction of applied activity from a median of 18 MBq in group 1 to a median of 12 MBq in group 2 had no negative effect on the SLN identification. Conclusion: Subdermal injection of radiolabeled nanocolloids between tumor and axilla allowed high intraoperative detection of SLN. Preoperative SLN imaging had no significant impact on the intraoperative detection but is a time-consuming and resource-intensive procedure. Prospective studies might provide further evidence to omit preoperative SLN imaging in patients with T1-2 invasive breast cancer and clinically negative axilla.
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spelling doaj-art-d4252d52864e4dcd9a3cf067e4a2bbf12025-02-12T05:30:35ZengElsevierBreast1532-30802025-02-0179103856Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control studyMichael J. Reinhardt0Björn Ohmstede1Luz Angela Torres-de la Roche2Rudy Leon De Wilde3Clinic for Nuclear Medicine, Pius Hospital, University Medicine Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26121, GermanyDepartment of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Pius Hospital, University Medicine Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26121, GermanyUniversity Hospital for Gynecology, Pius Hospital, University Medicine Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26121, Germany; Corresponding author.University Hospital for Gynecology, Pius Hospital, University Medicine Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26121, GermanyObjective: The necessity of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy before intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of SLN imaging on intraoperative SLN detection in breast cancer patients. Methods: Retrospective, comparative, single center study of patients with breast cancer stage pT1 and pT2 who underwent axillary staging. Group 1 included patients who underwent SLN extirpation without preoperative SLN imaging, and Group 2 included patients who underwent SLN imaging prior to surgery. Differences between groups were analyzed using T-test and chi-square test. Results: 926 (mean age: 61.45 years) patients received subdermal injection of radiolabeled nanocolloids between tumor and axilla. SLN was identified intraoperatively in 473 of 498 patients (94.98 %) in group 1, and in 415 of 428 patients (96.96 %) in group 2 (p = 0.129). Lymphoscintigraphy detected SLN in 407 of 428 (95.09 %) patients in group 2. Due to the additional SLN imaging in group 2, the time between radiotracer injection and start of surgery was significantly prolonged (p < 0.001). A reduction of applied activity from a median of 18 MBq in group 1 to a median of 12 MBq in group 2 had no negative effect on the SLN identification. Conclusion: Subdermal injection of radiolabeled nanocolloids between tumor and axilla allowed high intraoperative detection of SLN. Preoperative SLN imaging had no significant impact on the intraoperative detection but is a time-consuming and resource-intensive procedure. Prospective studies might provide further evidence to omit preoperative SLN imaging in patients with T1-2 invasive breast cancer and clinically negative axilla.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960977624001875Sentinel lymph nodeBreast cancerScintigraphy
spellingShingle Michael J. Reinhardt
Björn Ohmstede
Luz Angela Torres-de la Roche
Rudy Leon De Wilde
Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control study
Breast
Sentinel lymph node
Breast cancer
Scintigraphy
title Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control study
title_full Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control study
title_fullStr Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control study
title_full_unstemmed Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control study
title_short Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control study
title_sort is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary a retrospective case control study
topic Sentinel lymph node
Breast cancer
Scintigraphy
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960977624001875
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