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Objective: The sentinel node (SN) procedure is adopted in selected patients with early-stage vulva cancer (VC) in Denmark. Due to the low incidence of VC, large population-based studies on the safety of SN outside multicenter clinical trials are lacking. The current study evaluated the risk of recurrence and survival in SN- negative VC patients. Methods: Nationwide data was collected and registered prospectively in the Danish Gynecologic Cancer Database from January 2011 to July 2017. Patients with clinically stage IB-II unifocal vulva squamous cell carcinoma, tumor

Sentinel node procedures (SNP) are performed with the use of tracer-agents, mainly radio-colloid and/or blue dye. Fluorescent agents have emerged as a new tracer-agent to identify the SLN intra-operatively with near-infrared imaging. Our aim is to compare the detection rate of fluorescent agents to current "golden standards" (blue dye and/or radio-colloid) for the SNP by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis without any restrictions based on tumor type.A systematic search in PubMed, Embase and The Cochrane Library was performed. Articles that compared the detection rates of fluorescent agents with radio-colloid and/or blue dye were included. Meta-analyses were performed for breast, gynecological and dermatological cancer using a random effects model.In total 6195 articles were screened which resulted in a final inclusion of 55 articles. All studies used indocyanine green (ICG) as fluorescent agent. Meta-analyses comparing ICG with blue dye showed a significant and clinically relevant difference in detection rate in favor of ICG, for both breast, dermatological and gynecological cancer. Meta-analyses comparing ICG with radio-colloid did not show any significant differences, with the exception of ICG versus radio-colloid + blue dye for the bilateral SLN detection in gynecological cancer.Near-infrared fluorescence imaging using ICG provides a higher detection rate compared to blue dye for the SNP in a range of different tumor types. SLN detection rates of ICG are comparable to radiocolloid. Due to their complementary characteristics in terms of spatial resolution and transdermal sensitivity, we suggest to use a combination of both ICG and a radio-colloid. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

// Birgit E.P. Vriens 1 , Kristien B.M. Keymeulen 2 , Judith R. Kroep 3 , Ayoub Charehbili 3,4 , Petronella G. Peer 5 , Maaike de Boer 1 , Maureen J.B. Aarts 1 , Esther M. Heuts 2 , Vivianne C.G. Tjan-Heijnen 1 , The Dutch Breast Cancer Research Group (BOOG) 1 Department of Medical Oncology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands 2 Department of Surgery, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands 3 Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands 4 Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands 5 Biostatistics, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Correspondence to: Vivianne C.G. Tjan-Heijnen, email: // Keywords : breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, sentinel node procedure, node-negative Received : July 25, 2016 Accepted : January 23, 2017 Published : February 04, 2017 Abstract Background: Primary aim of our study was to assess the impact of timing of sentinel node procedure, pre- versus post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy, on final pathologic node-negative rate (pN0) in patients with clinically node-negative (cN0) breast cancer. Secondary endpoint was the usability of the sentinel node procedure in patients with clinically node-positive disease that converted to cN0 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: Patients were enrolled in two sequentially conducted Dutch phase III trials, studying the impact of two neoadjuvant chemotherapy schedules and use of zoledronic acid on complete pathologic response rate. For the present analyses, patients were excluded if they had not undergone surgical axillary staging. Results: In total 439 patients were included, of whom 230 (52%) had pre-treatment cN0. In this group, pN0 status was seen in 58% ( N = 23) of patients with a sentinel node biopsy post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared to 51% ( N = 83) pre-neoadjuvant chemotherapy, including the axillary lymph node dissection whenever performed. In multivariable analysis, timing of sentinel node procedure (pre- versus post- neoadjuvant chemotherapy) was, however, not significantly associated with final pN0/pN0(i+) status, with an odds ratio of 1.18 (95% CI 0.64 - 2.18) after correction for age, clinical tumor status, histology, grade, hormone- and HER2 receptor. Of patients with clinically node-positive disease only 15% had a final pN0 status, with a false-negative rate of the sentinel node of 30%. Conclusion: In breast cancer patients with cN0 disease, sentinel node procedure performed post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy led to nodal down staging, although not statistically significant after multivariate correction for patient and tumor characteristics.

Objective. Standard treatment of primary T1 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the vulva

In 2008, the first Groningen International Study on Sentinel nodes in Vulvar cancer (GROINSS-V) showed that omission of inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy is safe in patients with early-stage vulvar cancer and a negative sentinel node and it simultaneously decreases treatment-related morbidity. An important part of the sentinel node procedure is pathologic ultrastaging of the removed sentinel nodes. Subsequently, since the introduction of this procedure in the standard care of patients with early-stage vulvar cancer, more and smaller inguinofemoral lymph node metastases have been diagnosed. The clinical consequences of these micrometastases are not clear yet. With increasing size of the sentinel node metastasis, chances of non-sentinel node metastases increase and those of survival decrease. The size of lymph node metastases is included in the latest staging system for vulvar cancer, however at this moment without clinical implications. Furthermore, a separate category for micrometastases is not incorporated yet. More research is needed to determine the clinical consequences of the size of (sentinel) lymph node metastases. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

► Description of a rare case: vulvar cancer during pregnancy. ► First report of vulvar sentinel node procedure during pregnancy. ► Discussion about the safety of sentinel node procedure during pregnancy.

Contains fulltext : 87921.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to outline current controversies in management of early-stage vulvar cancer. The main focus will be on the procedures for assessing the sentinel node and the treatment of those with evidence of metastatic involvement. RECENT FINDINGS: Assessment of the sentinel node has recently been introduced into the standard treatment of early-stage squamous cell vulvar cancer. The combination of a radioactive tracer and blue dye is the most accurate technique for sentinel node detection. Preoperative imaging is recommended to rule out gross nodal involvement and ultrasound with fine needle aspiration cytology by an experienced radiologist appears to have the highest sensitivity/specificity for detecting metastases, although large comparative studies are not available. All patients with sentinel node metastases require additional treatment to the groin, independent of the size of metastasis in the sentinel node and currently this involves inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy. Further research is ongoing to investigate the role of radiotherapy instead of lymphadenectomy. The little experience there is of sentinel node biopsy in vulvar melanoma suggests that the procedure is feasible and inclusion criteria should follow those of cutaneous melanoma. SUMMARY: Sentinel node biopsy is safe in treatment of early-stage vulvar cancer. Ongoing studies are investigating the optimal additional treatment for patients with a positive sentinel node in terms of efficacy and morbidity. 01 september 2010