Il linfonodo sentinella nel carcinoma mammario: 5 anni di esperienza [Sentinel lymph-node biopsy in breast cancer: five years' experience]

The authors report on their experience with sentinel lymph-node biopsy in breast cancer. Sentinel lymph-node biopsy was performed in 91 patients with T1-T2 N0 M0 breast cancer using radiocolloid (99mTC radiolabelled colloidal human albumin microaggregate) injected perilesionally in 56 cases and by Blu Patent V alone in 35 cases. The sentinel lymph nodes identified were located in the axilla in 88 cases, in the internal mammary nodes in 2 cases and in a subclavicular site in 1 case. The histological examination was negative in 62 cases and positive in 29; Axillary lymph-node dissection was carried out in node-positive cases. No recurrences were observed in any of the cases treated. Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymphadenectomy in primary breast cancer is now a feasible and useful method of avoiding routine axillary lymphadenectomy. However, the role of micro- or macrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes and the significance of identification of tumour mRNA have yet to be defined.