Radioguided occult lesion localisation in combination with detection of the sentinel lymph node in non-palpable breast cancer tumours

• Published in: European journal of gynaecological oncology Vol. 27; no. 3; p. 236
• Main Authors: Strnad, P, Rob, L, Halaska, M G, Chod, J, Zuntova, A, Moravcova, Z
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy 2006
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - surgery; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Radionuclide Imaging; Radiopharmaceuticals; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; Technetium Compounds
• ISSN: 0392-2936

The aim of study was to determine the efficacy of radioguided occult lesion localisation (ROLL) for non-palpable invasive breast cancer combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and to compare the amount of tissue excised by radioguided navigation versus the hook-wire technique. We injected 45 MBq of radiolabelled technetium intratumourally and 15 MBq subdermally 18 hours before surgery in 21 women with bioptically verified non-palpable breast cancer. We identified by gamma probe non-palpable tumours, which were excised, followed by identification and excision of the sentinel lymph node. We compared our results with a group of 12 women with non-palpable lesions marked by hook-wire localisation. ROLL combined with SLNB was successful in 100%; volume of excised tissue was smaller in the hook-wire group but expressed higher variability in volume than in the ROLL group although the difference was not statistically significant. The method of ROLL combined with SLNB is technically possible and safe, resulting in minimisation of the surgical intervention and a decrease in postoperative morbidity. ROLL was more precise than the hook-wire procedure even though the amount of tissue excised was the same in both groups.