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Background and Objectives: Over the last decade, lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node (sN) biopsy have greatly increased the possibility of identifying nodal metastasis in clinically node-negative patients with melanoma and breast cancer, thus improving the accuracy of pathologic staging. Recently, sN biopsy has been applied also in colorectal cancer. This prospective study aimed to assess its feasibility and accuracy in predicting regional lymph nodes metastases in colorectal cancer patients as well as the impact on treatment decision-making., Materials and Methods: Lymphatic mapping was accomplished by means of blue dye, which was intraoperatively injected into the subserosa overlying the tumor site in 26 patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. Following bowel resection, the operative specimen was inspected to identify each blue-stained node, the sN, which was sent separately to the pathologist. One half of each sN was examined by multiple 200 microm sections, while the second half was examined by standard bi-valving technique with hematoxylin-eosin (H and E) staining; all the other regional non-sentinel nodes were routinely examined by standard bi-valving technique and H and E staining., Results: At least one sN was detected in 24 of 26 patients (92.3%); two patients with rectal cancer had no sN identified. Overall, 70 sN were retrieved into the operative specimens, with a mean of 2.9 sNs/patient, and 19 sNs were tumor-positive. An agreement between sN and regional lymph-node status was observed in 20 of 24 patients (83.4%). The sN was histologically negative in two of nine patients with positive regional nodes (sensitivity = 77.8%; false-negative rate of 22.2%); in two of seven patients with tumor-positive sN (28.6%), the sN was the exclusive site of regional nodal metastasis. The negative predictive value was 88.2% (15 of 17 patients), and the overall accuracy was 91.7% (22 of 24 patients). As regards the contribution to the detection of nodal metastasis according to the pathologic technique, standard H and E bi-valving technique detected 16 of 19 tumor-positive sNs (84.2%) while, by means of serial sectioning, metastases were detected in the remaining 3 of 19 sNs (15.8%)., Conclusions: The sN biopsy proved feasible, with a rather short learning curve. The focused analysis of the sN by means of serial sectioning improved the detection rate of nodal metastasis compared to standard bi-valving examination, so that a more accurate nodal staging should be expected; finally, an elective localization of metastasis within the sN was observed in almost one third of regional node-positive patients., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

With the advent of sentinel node (sN) biopsy in melanoma patients, elective lymph node dissection (ELND) can be considered an exceeded procedure. Regardless of the possible therapeutic benefits, sN biopsy efficiently predicts prognosis avoiding the morbidity rate of ELND. The importance of the sN is underlined by multivariate analyses, which show that the sN status represents the most important prognostic factor influencing disease-free and distant disease-free survival in patients with stage I and II melanoma. Moreover, sN biopsy provides a minimally invasive method for identifying those patients with subclinical nodal metastasis who actually have stage III disease, with a very high risk of occult distant metastases and who may benefit by adjuvant therapy., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

As for other solid tumors, malignant cutaneous melanoma drains in a logical way through the lymphatic system, from the first to subsequent levels. Therefore, the first lymph node encountered (the sentinel node) will most likely be the first to be affected by metastasis, and a negative sentinel node makes it highly unlikely that other nodes in the same lymphatic basin are affected. Sentinel lymph node biopsy distinguishes patients without nodal metastases, who can avoid nodal basin dissection with its associated risk of lymphedema, and those with metastatic involvement who might benefit from additional therapy. This procedure represents a significant advantage as a minimally invasive procedure, considering that only an average 20% of melanoma patients with Breslow thickness between 1.5 and 4 mm harbour metastasis in their sentinel node(s) and are therefore candidates to elective lymph node dissection procedures. The cells that originate cutaneous melanomas are located between dermis and epidermis, a zone that drains to the inner lymphatic network in the reticular dermis, in turn to larger collecting lymphatics in subcutis. Therefore, the optimal modality of interstitial administration of radiocolloids for lymphoscintigraphy and subsequent radioguided sentinel lymph node biopsy is through intradermal/subdermal injection. (99m)Tc-labeled colloids in various size ranges are equally adequate for radioguided sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with cutaneous melanoma, depending on local experience and availability. For melanomas located in the midline area of the head, neck, and trunk, particular consideration should be given to ambiguous lymphatic drainage, which frequently requires interstitial administration virtually all around the tumor or surgical scar from prior excision of the melanoma. Lymphoscintigraphy is an essential part of radioguided sentinel lymph node biopsy because images are used to direct the surgeon to the sites of the node(s). The sentinel lymph node should have a significantly higher count than that of background (at least 10:1 intraoperatively). After removal of the sentinel node, the surgical bed must be reexamined to ensure that all radioactive sites are identified and removed for analysis. The success rate of radioguidance in localizing the sentinel lymph node in melanoma patients is about 98% in institutions where a high number of procedures are performed, approaching 99% when combined with the vital blue dye technique. The procedure is becoming the standard of care for patients with cutaneous melanoma because of its high prognostic value that has led to include the procedure in the most recent version of the TNM staging system., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Sentinel lymph node (sN) biopsy has gained special attention among surgical and medical oncologists as it represents an accepted technique for detecting occult nodal disease in regional lymph nodes of patients with melanoma and breast cancer. The histopathologic examination of the sN may well predict regional lymph node status in order to define the most suitable loco-regional and systemic treatment. Recently, this technique has also been applied to other solid tumor types such as gynecologic and urologic malignancies, squamous head and neck cancer, thyroid cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma, and gastric cancer. The aim of this literature review is to define the rationale of sN biopsy in these tumor sites, the most effective procedure for sN detection, and the accuracy of the sN in predicting regional nodal status, as well as the surgical perspectives of sN biopsy application., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Background and Objectives: Literature review suggests that the sentinel lymph node (sN) represents a reliable predictor of axillary lymph node status in breast cancer patients; however, some important issues, such as the optimisation of the technique for the intraoperative identification of the sN, the role of intraoperative frozen section examination of the sN, and the clinical implications of sN metastasis as regards the surgical management of the axilla, still require further confirmation. The authors aimed (1) to assess the feasibility of sN identification with a combined approach (vital blue dye lymphatic mapping and radioguided surgery, RGS) and the specific contribution of either techniques to the detection of the sN, (2) to determine the accuracy and usefulness of intraoperative frozen section examination of the sN in order to perform a one-stage surgical procedure, and (3) to define how the sN might modulate the therapeutic planning in different stages of disease., Materials and Methods: From October 1997 to June 2001, 334 patients with early-stage (T(1-2) N(0) M(0)) invasive mammary carcinoma underwent sN biopsy; the average age of patients was 61.5 years (range, 39-75 years). In a subset of 153 patients, both vital blue dye (Patent Blue-V) lymphatic mapping and RGS were used to identify the sN, and the relative contribution of each of the two techniques was assessed., Results: In the whole group, the sN was identified in 326 of 334 patients (97.6%), and 105 of 326 patients (37.3%) had positive axillary lymph nodes (pN+). In 9 of 105 pN+ patients, the definitive histologic examination of the sN did not show metastases but these were detected in non-sN, thus giving an 8.6% false-negative rate, a negative predictive value of 94.5% (156/165), and an accuracy of 96.5% (252/261). As regards the specific contribution of the two different techniques used in the identification of the sN, the detection rate was 73.8% (113/153) with Patent Blue-V alone, 94.1% (144/153) with RGS alone, and 98.7% (151/153) with Patent Blue-V combined with RGS (P < 0.001). Noteworthy, whenever the sN was identified, the prediction of axillary lymph node status was remarkably similar (93-95% sensitivity; 100% specificity; 95-97% negative predictive value, and 97-98% accuracy) whichever of the three procedures was adopted (Patent Blue-V alone, RGS alone, or combined Patent Blue-V and RGS). Intraoperative frozen section examination was performed in 261 patients, who had at least one sN identified, out of 267 patients who underwent complete axillary dissection; 170 patients had histologically negative sN (i.o. sN-) and 91 patients histologically positive sN (i.o. sN+). All 91 i.o. sN+ were confirmed by definitive histology, whereas in 14 of 170 i.o. sN- patients (8.2%) metastases were detected at definitive histology. As regards the correlation between the size of sN metastasis, the primary tumour size, and the status of non-sN in the axilla, micrometastases were detected at final histology in 23 patients and macrometastases in 82 patients. When only micrometastases were detected, the sN was the exclusive site of nodal metastasis in 20 of 23 patients (86.9%) while in 3 patients with tumour size larger than 10 mm micrometastases were detected also in non-sN. Macrometastases were never detected in pT(1a) breast cancer patients; the sN was the exclusive site of these metastases in 30 patients (36.6%), while in 52 patients (63.4%) there were metastases both in sN and non-sN., Conclusions: Sentinel lymphadenectomy can better be accomplished when both procedures (lymphatic mapping with vital blue dye and RGS) are used, because of the significantly higher sN detection rate, although the prediction of axillary lymph node status remains remarkably similar whichever method is used. The intraoperative frozen section examination proved to be rather accurate in predicting the actual pathologic status of the sN, with a negative predictive value of 91.8%; in 35% of patients it allowed sN biopsy and axillary dissection to be performed in a one-stage surgical procedure. Finally, specific clinical and histopathologic features of the primary tumour and sN might be used to tailor the loco-regional and systemic treatment in different clinical settings, such as in ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), early-stage invasive breast cancer, and patients with large breast cancer undergoing neo-adjuvant CT for breast-saving surgery as well as elderly patients with operable breast cancer.

The concept of sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer surgery relates to the fact that the tumor drains in a logical way via the lymphatic system, from the first to upper levels. Therefore, (1) the first lymph node met (the sentinel node) will most likely be the first one affected by metastasis, and (2) a negative sentinel node makes it highly unlikely that other nodes are affected. Sentinel lymph node biopsy would represent a significant advantage as a mini-invasive procedure, considering that, after operation, about 70% of patients are found to be free from metastatic disease, yet axillary node dissection can lead to significant morbidity. Although the pattern of lymphatic drainage from a breast cancer can be very variable, the mammary gland and the overlying skin can be considered as a biologic unit in which lymphatics tend to follow the vasculature. Considering that tumor lymphatics are disorganized and relatively ineffective, subdermal, and peritumoral injection of small aliquots of radiotracer is preferred to intratumoral administration. (99m)Tc-labeled colloids with most of the particles in the 100-200 nm size range would be ideal for radioguided sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer. Lymphoscintigraphy is an essential part of radioguided sentinel lymph node biopsy, as images are used to direct the surgeon to the site of the node. The sentinel lymph node should have a significantly higher count than background. After removal of the sentinel node, the axilla must be re-examined to ensure all radioactive sites are identified and removed for analysis. The success rate of radioguidance in localizing the sentinel lymph node in breast cancer surgery is about 94-97% in Institutions where a high number of procedures are performed, approaching 99% when combined with the vital blue dye technique. At present, there is no definite evidence that a negative sentinel lymph node biopsy is invariably correlated with a negative axillary status, except perhaps for T(1a-b) breast cancers, with size < or =1 cm. Randomized clinical trials should elucidate the impact of avoiding axillary node dissection in patients with a negative sentinel lymph node on the long-term clinical outcome of patients., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Background: The sentinel lymph node (sN) represents one of the most powerful predictors of the outcome of patients with Stages I and II cutaneous melanoma, and may be relevant for the therapeutic planning of early-stage melanoma patients. Since adopting the technique of lymphatic mapping with vital blue dye (Patent Blue-V) in July 1993, we have periodically up-dated the methodology and revised our results in order to define the contribution of radio-guided surgery (RGS) to the detection of the sN as well as the role of intraoperative frozen section examination of the sN., Materials and Methods: Between July 1993 and December 1997, 180 patients with clinically node-negative primary cutaneous melanoma (Stages I-II) underwent sN biopsy followed by "selective lymph node dissection" (SLND) whenever sN metastasis was detected. Presently, complete data are available in 165 patients who were divided into two consecutive subsets of 39 and 126 patients, based on the technique for the identification of the sN: Patent Blue-V only or Patent Blue-V associated to RGS. Moreover, in this second subset of patients intraoperative frozen section findings were compared with definitive pathologic examination., Results: As regards the first subset of 39 patients (17 males and 22 females; mean age 51.3 years), the sN was identified in 35 patients (89.7%); 8 patients (22.8%) were found to have metastatic melanoma cells in their sN, and they all underwent SLND of the affected basin. As regards the second set of 126 patients (54 males and 72 females; mean age 53.5 years), the sN was detected in every case by means of the combined technique (Patent Blue-V and RGS): in 4 of 126 patients (3.2%), the sN was detected by means of RGS only whereas in no patient was the sN detected by Patent Blue-V only. Frozen section examination was performed in 123 of 126 patients who had sN detection by Patent Blue-V and RGS, and the intraoperative examination had a sensitivity of 66.6% (22 of 33), specificity of 100% (90 of 90), negative predictive value of 89.1% (90 of 101), and accuracy of 91% (112 of 123). The benefit of frozen section examination in avoiding a two-stage procedure was 17.9% (22 of 123 patients). In patients with thicker lesions (pT(3)-pT(4)), the sensitivity and the benefit of intraoperative examination were 76% (19 of 25) and 32% (19 of 59 patients), respectively., Conclusions: Sentinel node lymphadenectomy can be better accomplished when both procedures (lymphatic mapping with Patent Blue-V and RGS) are used because the two methods look quite complementary. In fact, the use of the radiocolloid mapping allows to detect a hot spot in the regional basin prior to making the skin incision in order to perform a minimal invasive access, and it may also more accurately differentiate the true sN from a secondary echelon node (non-sN). The use of frozen section examination should be restricted to patients with pT(3)-pT(4) primary melanoma, due to the higher sensitivity and benefit in terms of avoiding a two-stage operative procedure., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Background and Objectives: A randomised clinical trial was performed in patients undergoing radical surgery for rectal cancer to compare the efficacy and toxicity of adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy (RT) to sequential RT and chemotherapy (CT) with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus levamisole (LEV). The primary end point was overall survival (OS); secondary end points were disease-free survival (DFS), the rate of loco-regional recurrence, and treatment-related toxicity; the final results of this trial are reported., Methods: Patients in arm I underwent RT (50 Gy) in daily fractions of 2 Gy, 5 days/week for 5 weeks. Patients in arm II began with 5-FU (450 mg/sqm/day intravenous (i.v.) bolus, days 1-5) plus LEV (150 mg/day orally, days 1-3); postoperative RT was delivered during week 2 at the same dosage and schedule as in arm I. The other five cycles of CT (5-FU every 28 days and LEV every 15 days for the length of 5-FU administration) continued after the end of RT if clinical and hemato-biochemical parameters were in the normal range., Results: From May 1992 to December 1998, 218 patients were enrolled into the randomised clinical trial (144 men, 74 women; age range: 28-75, median 64 years). The median follow-up time was 58.1 months (range: 1-3,271 days). No significant difference was observed between the two arms of treatment as regards OS and DFS (P = 0.18 and P = 0.66, respectively). Cox regression analysis for OS confirmed what was observed by univariate analysis for all variables except age. Older age (>60 years) and pathologic lymph-node involvement defined the subgroups with the worst prognosis. Cox regression analysis for DFS confirmed what was observed by univariate analysis for all variables: the only independent variable in predicting DFS was pathologic lymph-node involvement., Conclusions: Our findings suggest no difference in OS, loco-regional and distant site progressions of postoperative RT alone compared to sequential postoperative RT and CT; notably, this latter regimen was associated with higher toxicity which seriously impaired the patient's compliance to CT. The low loco-regional recurrence rate (9.2%) observed in our patients undergoing postoperative RT alone compared to similarly treated patients in previously performed clinical trials (20-25%) underline the role of radical surgery (mesorectal excision) coupled with a complete postoperative RT regimen. On the other hand, the similar efficacy of these two adjuvant modalities of treatment might be conditioned by both the low compliance (59%) to the CT regimen as well as the sequential, instead of concurrent, schedule of administration of RT and CT, which may have decreased further the expected efficacy of the combined regimen., (Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Background and Objectives: Recent studies have demonstrated that the sentinel lymph node (sN) can be considered a reliable predictor of axillary lymph node status in breast cancer patients. However, some important issues, such as optimization of the technique for the intraoperative identification of the sN, and the clinical implications of sN metastasis as regards the surgical management of the axilla still require further elucidation. The objectives of this study was to assess (1) the feasibility of sN identification with a combined approach (vital blue dye lymphatic mapping and radioguided surgery, RGS) and the specific contribution of either techniques to the detection of the sN, and (2) the correlation between the size of sN metastasis (micrometastasis < or = 2 mm; macrometastasis > 2), primary tumour size, and the status of nonsentinel nodes (nsN) in the axilla., Methods: Between October of 1997 and December of 1999, 212 patients with breast cancer (average age: 61 years; range, 40-79 years) underwent sN biopsy before performing standard axillary dissection. In a subset of 153 patients, both vital blue dye (Patent Blue-V) lymphatic mapping and RGS were used to identify the sN, and the relative contribution of each of the two techniques was assessed., Results: Overall, the sN was identified in 206 of 212 patients (97.1%); at histologic examination of all dissected nodes, 77 of 206 patients had positive nodes (37.3%). The false-negative rate was 6.5% (5/77), the negative predictive value was 96.3% (129/134), and accuracy was 97.6% (201/206). Among 72 patients with positive sN, micrometastases were detected in 21 cases and macrometastases in 51. When micrometastases only were observed, the sN was the exclusive site of nodal metastasis in 17 of 21 cases (80.9%); in the remaining 4 cases (19.1%), nsN metastases were detected in 3 of 14 pT1c patients (21.5%), and 1 of 5 pT2 patients (20%). Macrometastases were detected in patients with tumors classified as pT1b or larger: the sN was the exclusive site of metastasis in 3 of 4 pT1b patients (75%), in 14 of 29 pT1c patients (48.2%), and in 3 of 18 pT2 patients (16.6%). The specific contribution of the two different techniques used in the identification of the sN was evaluated; the detection rate was 73.8% (113 of 153) with Patent Blue-V alone, 94.1% (144 of 153) with RGS alone, and 98.7% (151 of 153) with Patent Blue-V combined with RGS (P < 0.001). Noteworthy, whenever the sN was identified, the prediction of axillary lymph node status was remarkably similar (93-95% sensitivity; 100% specificity; 95-97% negative predictive value, and 97-98% accuracy) with each of the three procedures (Patent Blue-V alone, RGS alone, or combined Patent Blue-V and RGS)., Conclusions: Sentinel lymphadenectomy can better be accomplished when both procedures (lymphatic mapping with vital blue dye and RGS) are used, due to the significantly higher sN detection rate, although the prediction of axillary lymph node status remains remarkably similar with each one of the methods assessed. That patients with small tumours (<1 cm) and sN micrometastasis are very unlikely to harbour metastasis in nsN should be considered when planning randomised clinical trials aimed at defining the effectiveness of sN guided-axillary dissection., (Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Objectives: Two-hundred eighteen patients with TNM stage II-III resectable rectal cancer, enrolled into a randomized clinical trial, were assessed for efficacy and toxicity of adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy (RT) vs. those of combined RT and chemotherapy (CT), with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus levamisole. End points were overall survival, disease-free survival, the rate of loco-regional recurrence, and treatment-related toxicity., Methods: Patients in arm I underwent RT (50 Gy) in daily fractions of 2 Gy, 5 days/week for 5 weeks. Patients in arm II began with 5-FU (450 mg/m(2)/day intravenous bolus, days 1-5) plus levamisole (150 mg/day orally, days 1-3); postoperative RT was delivered during week 2 at the same dosage and schedule as in arm I. The other five cycles of CT (5-FU every 28 days and levamisole every 15 days for the length of 5-FU administration) continued after the end of RT if clinical and hemato-biochemical parameters were normal., Results: RT was completed or modified in 170 (90%) of 189 evaluable patients undergoing RT (both treatment groups). Only 44 (59%) of 75 evaluable patients of arm II completed or had an adjustment of the CT schedule; the remaining 31 patients (41%) had to stop or never started the CT regimen. Patients undergoing combined RT and CT had more severe toxicity (enteritis, P = 0.03). There was one CT-related death (gastrointestinal bleeding) in this subset. No significant difference was observed in outcome of patients in the two study groups, nor for pattern of recurrence (heterogeneity chi(2) = 4.82; d.f. = 2; P = 0.08)., Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest a similar efficacy, coupled with less morbidity, of postoperative RT alone compared with a combined regimen of postoperative RT and CT in patients undergoing radical surgery for stage II-III rectal cancer., (Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Background and Objective: We performed a pilot study on 30 consecutive patients undergoing sentinel node (sN) biopsy by radioguided surgery and vital blue dye mapping to determine whether there is a single sN for each breast independent of tumor site or an sN specifically related to the site of the breast neoplasm., Methods: There were 6 groups of 5 patients; each patient had a subdermal injection of radiotracer on the tumor site plus a second injection of radiotracer that was changed in every subset of patients to test whether modifying the site or the route of injection could have impaired the proper detection of the sN., Results: "False" sN were detected only in patients who had a second injection of radiotracer away from the tumor site; this occurred in 2 of 5 patients (40%) in group I, in 3 of 5 patients (60%) in group II, in all patients in group III, and in 3 of 5 patients (60%) in group IV. The different route of injection (peritumoral or subdermal) always on the tumor site that was tested in groups V and VI did not impair the proper detection of the sN., Conclusions: Our findings support the hypothesis of a precise topographic correspondence between the primary tumor and its specific sN more than the existence of a first sN in the axillary basin, which indiscriminately drains all quadrants of the breast, like "a neck of a bottle." This should be considered for the proper selection of the injection site of either vital blue dye or radiopharmaceuticals., (Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Background and Objectives: Axillary lymph node status is the most important prognostic factor in patients with operable breast cancer. Recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of identifying the sentinel lymph node (sN) as a reliable predictor of axillary lymph node status in both cutaneous melanoma and breast cancer. Sentinel lymph node identification proved feasible by either peritumoral dye injection (Patent Blue-V) or radiodetection, with identification rates of 65-97% and 92-98%, respectively. However, some important issues need further definition, namely (a) optimization of the technique for intraoperative detection of the sN, (b) predictive value of the sN with regard to axillary lymph node status, and (c) reliability of intraoperative histology of the sN. We reviewed our experience in sN detection in patients with stage I-II breast cancer to assess the feasibility and accuracy of lymphatic mapping, by vital blue dye or radioguided surgery, and sN histology as a predictor of axillary lymph node status., Methods: Two groups of patients (55 and 48) were recruited between May 1996 and May 1997 and between October 1997 and February 1998; the patients of the first series underwent vital blue dye lymphatic mapping only, whereas those of the second series had a combined approach with both vital blue dye mapping and radioguided detection of the sN., Results: In the first set of patients, the sN was identified in 36/55 patients (65.4%); sN histology predicted axillary lymph node status with a 77% sensitivity (10/13), a 100% specificity (23/23), an 88.5% negative predictive value (23/26), and an overall 91.5% accuracy (33/36). The sN was the quasi-elective site of lymph node metastases because in clinically N0 patients nodal involvement was 20-fold more likely at histology in sN than in non-sN (30% and 1.5%, respectively). In the second set of patients, 49 lymphadenectomies were performed because 1 patient had bilateral breast cancer; the sN was identified in 45/49 lymphadenectomies (92%). The sN was intraoperatively negative at frozen-section examination in 33 cases, and final histology confirmed the absence of metastases in 31/33 cases (94%), whereas in 2 cases (6%) micrometastases only were detected. Final histology of the sN predicted axillary lymph node status with an 87.5% sensitivity (14/16), a 100% specificity (29/29), a 93.5% negative predictive value (29/31), and an overall 95.5% accuracy (43/45)., Conclusions: Sentinel lymphadenectomy can be better accomplished when both mapping techniques (vital blue dye and radioguided surgery) are used. In this group of patients, agreement of intraoperative histology of the sN with the final diagnosis was 94%, and sN histology accurately predicted axillary lymph node status in 43/45 lymphadenectomy specimens (95.5%) in which an sN was identified., (Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of identifying the sentinel lymph node (sN) as a reliable predictor of axillary lymph node status in both cutaneous melanoma and breast cancer. However, some important issues need further definition: (1) optimization of the technique for intraoperative detection of the sN; (2) predictive value of the sN as regards axillary lymph node status, and (3) reliability of intraoperative histology of the sN. We report our experience in sN mapping in patients with Stage I-II breast cancer, with the aim of assessing: (1) the feasibility of lymphatic mapping with a combined approach (vital blue dye lymphatic mapping and radioguided surgery); (2) the agreement of the intraoperative histologic examination of the sN, by means of hematoxylin and eosin staining with final histology, and (3) the accuracy of sN histology as a predictor of axillary lymph node status.

The role of elective lymph node dissection (ELND) for treatment of cutaneous melanoma is still debated. Initially, lymphatic mapping technique was performed by an intradermic injection of vital blue dye; subsequently, it was improved by the use of radioguided surgery (RGS). Preliminary experience with this technique proved effective for detection of clinical occult lymph node metastasis; it may also enable the surgeon to perform a selective lymph node dissection (SLND) to concentrate on pathologic node-positive patients for the same potential benefits that have been provided by ELND. We performed sentinel node biopsy on 48 patients with stage pT3N0M0 melanoma. Vital blue dye mapping only was carried out on 39 patients; the remaining nine patients had a combined lymphatic mapping with both blue dye and RGS. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) was identified in 46 of 48 patients (95.8%). Ten patients (20.8%) were found to have metastatic melanoma cells in their SLN(s); all these patients underwent SLND of the affected basin. Our findings confirm that the intraoperative lymphatic mapping of the SLN using both blue dye and radiodetection is an appropriate and simple technique for selecting patients who are more likely to benefit from lymph node dissection.

Sixty-four patients with recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer underwent radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS). Thirty patients (Group A) were preoperatively injected with radiolabeled monoclonal antibody (MAb) B72.3, a whole IgG1 that reacts with tumor-associated glycoprotein (TAG-72) antigen. Thirty-four patients (Group B) were given monoclonal antibody FO23C5, an F(ab')2 which reacts with the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The use of F(ab')2 antibodies ensured a lower time interval from the preoperative injection of the radiolabeled MAb to surgery. This interval was 22.7 days for Group A patients and 10.9 days for Group B patients. The correct RIGS identification of tumor sites occurred in 80.4% of Group A patients and in 92.6% of Group B patients. Additional information capable of modifying surgical strategy was obtained in 23.3% of Group A patients and in 8.8% of Group B patients. This difference was due to the different patterns of biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of the two MAbs. Although FO23C5 yields an improved diagnostic resolution for macroscopic tumor sites, we believe that B72.3 or other whole IgG1 should be the first choice for RIGS in recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer patients.