Project description:ObjectiveTo identify suitable diagnostic tools and evaluate the efficacy of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy for inguinal lymph node metastasis in vulvar cancer.MethodsData from 41 patients with vulvar cancer were evaluated retrospectively, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements, SLN biopsy status, groin lymph node metastasis, and prognosis.ResultsSLN biopsy was conducted in 12 patients who had stage I to III disease. Groin lymphadenectomy was omitted in five of the nine patients with negative SLNs. All SLN-negative patients who did not undergo groin lymphadenectomy showed no evidence of disease after treatment. On MRI, the long and short diameters of the inguinal node were significantly longer in metastasis-positive cases, compared with negative cases, in 25 patients whose nodes were evaluated pathologically (long diameter, 12.8 mm vs. 8.8 mm, p=0.025; short diameter, 9.2 mm vs. 6.7 mm, p=0.041). The threshold of >10.0 mm for the long axis gave a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 87.5%, 70.6%, 58.3%, and 92.3%, respectively, using a binary classification test. Decision tree analysis revealed a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 87.5%, 70.6%, and 76.0%, respectively, with the threshold of >10.0 mm for the long axis on MRI. The criteria of >10.0 mm for the long axis on MRI predicted an advanced stage and poorer prognosis using a validation set of 15 cases (p=0.028).ConclusionMinimally invasive surgery after preoperative evaluation on MRI and SLN biopsy is a feasible strategy for patients with vulvar cancer.
Project description:BackgroundSentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure is now a widely accepted method of LN staging in selected invasive breast cancers (unifocal, size </= 2 cm, clinically N0, without previous treatment). Complete axillary clearance is no longer needed if the SLN is negative. However, the oncological safety of this procedure remains to be addressed in randomized clinical trials. One main pitfall is the failure to visualize SLN, resulting in incorrect tumor staging, leading to suboptimal treatment or axillary recurrence. Operative gamma cameras have therefore been developed to optimize the SLN visualization and the quality control of surgery.Case presentationA 44-year-old female patient with a 14-mm infiltrative ductal carcinoma underwent the SLN procedure. An operative gamma camera was used during and after the surgery. The conventional lymphoscintigraphy showed only one SLN, which was also detected by the operative gamma camera, then removed and measured (9.6 kBq). It was analyzed by frozen sections, showing no cancer cells. During this analysis, the exploration of the axillary area with the operative gamma camera enabled the identification of a second SLN with low activity (0.5 kBq) that conventional lymphoscintigraphy, surgical probe and blue staining had failed to visualize. Histological examination revealed a macrometastasis. Axillary clearance was then performed, followed by a postoperative image proving that no SLN remained. Therefore, the use of the operative gamma camera prevented an under-estimation of staging which would have resulted in a suboptimal treatment for this patient.ConclusionThis case report illustrates that an efficient operative gamma camera may be able to decrease the risk of false negative rate of the SLN procedure, and could be an additional tool to control the quality of the surgery.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00357487.
Project description:The incidence of malignant melanoma has increased over the past 25 years in the UK, but death rates have remained fairly constant. The 5-year survival rate ranges from 20% to 95%, depending on disease stage. Risks are greater in white populations and in people with higher numbers of skin naevi. We conducted a systematic overview, aiming to answer the following clinical question: What is the evidence for performing a sentinel lymph node biopsy in people with malignant melanoma with clinically uninvolved lymph nodes? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and other important databases up to October 2014 (Clinical Evidence overviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this overview). At this update, searching of electronic databases retrieved 221 studies. After deduplication and removal of conference abstracts, 99 records were screened for inclusion in the overview. Appraisal of titles and abstracts led to the exclusion of 58 studies and the further review of 41 full publications. Of the 41 full articles evaluated, one systematic review and three RCTs were added at this update. We performed a GRADE evaluation for two PICO combinations. In this systematic overview, we evaluated the evidence for performing sentinel lymph node biopsy in people with malignant melanoma with clinically uninvolved lymph nodes.
Project description:IntroductionEccrine porocarcinoma (EPC) is a slow-growing carcinoma arising from the eccrine sweat glands. Based on its clinical presentation it can be confused with malignant and benign skin lesions, both. Histological examination is essential to formulate a correct diagnosis. Surgical excision with clear margins is the standard therapeutic approach while the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNLB) remains controversial.Case presentationThe Authors report two cases of EPC of the lower limbs occurred in two women. Patients were treated by wide surgical excision of the lesion and SNLB. 6 months follow-up was disease free for both patients.ConclusionAlthough a rare cutaneous tumor, EPC has to be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of malignant skin lesions because of its possible loco-regional aggressiveness and related morbidity. Among the available treatment options, surgical excision is considered the standard approach whereas the role of SNLB is controversial although the Authors discuss a possible usefulness for staging and diagnosis.
Project description:BackgroundPerforming a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard of care for axillary nodal staging in patients with invasive breast cancer and clinically negative nodes. The procedure provides valuable staging information with few complications when performed by experienced surgeons. However, variation in proficiency exists for this procedure, and a great amount of experience is required to master the technique, especially when faced with challenging cases. The purpose of this paper was to provide a troubleshooting guide for commonly encountered technical difficulties in SLNB, and offer potential solutions so that surgeons can improve their own technical performance from the collective knowledge of experienced specialists in the field.MethodsInformation was obtained from a convenience sample of six experienced breast cancer specialists, each actively involved in training surgeons and residents/fellows in SLNB. Each surgeon responded to a structured interview in order to provide salient points of the SLNB procedure.ResultsFour of the key opinion surgical specialists provided their perspective using technetium-99 m sulfur colloid, and two shared their experience using blue dye only. Distinct categories of commonly encountered problem scenarios were presented and agreed upon by the panel of surgeons. The responses to each of these scenarios were collected and organized into a troubleshooting guide.DiscussionWe present a compilation of 'tips' organized as a troubleshooting guide to be used to guide surgeons of varying levels of experience when encountering technical difficulties with SLNB.
Project description:BackgroundTo limit the potential short and long-term morbidity of lymphadenectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy has been proposed for endometrial cancer. The principle of sentinel lymph node biopsy relies on removal of a small number of lymph nodes that are the first drainage basins from a tumor and thus the most likely to harbor tumor cells. While the procedure may reduce morbidity, efficacy data are limited and little is known about how commonly the procedure is performed.ObjectiveWe examined the patterns and predictors of use of sentinel lymph node biopsy and outcomes of the procedure in women with endometrial cancer who underwent hysterectomy.Study designWe used the Perspective database to identify women with uterine cancer who underwent hysterectomy from 2011 through 2015. Billing and charge codes were used to classify women as having undergone lymphadenectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy, or no nodal assessment. Multivariable models were used to examine clinical, demographic, and hospital characteristics with use of sentinel lymph node biopsy. Length of stay and cost were compared among the different methods of nodal assessment.ResultsAmong 28,362 patients, 9327 (32.9%) did not undergo nodal assessment, 17,669 (62.3%) underwent lymphadenectomy, and 1366 (4.8%) underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 1.3% (95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.6%) of abdominal hysterectomies, 3.4% (95% confidence interval, 2.7-4.1%) of laparoscopic hysterectomies, and 7.5% (95% confidence interval, 7.0-8.0%) of robotic-assisted hysterectomies. In a multivariable model, more recent year of surgery was associated with performance of sentinel lymph node biopsy. Compared to abdominal hysterectomy, those undergoing laparoscopic (adjusted risk ratio, 2.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.89-3.18) and robotic-assisted (adjusted risk ratio, 2.69; 95% confidence interval, 2.19-3.30) hysterectomy were more likely to undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy. Among women who underwent minimally invasive hysterectomy, length of stay and cost were lower for sentinel lymph node biopsy compared to lymphadenectomy.ConclusionThe use of sentinel lymph node biopsy for endometrial cancer increased from 2011 through 2015. The increased use was most notable in women who underwent a robotic-assisted hysterectomy.
Project description:BackgroundBreast cancer patients with suspicious axillary lymph node (ALN) at ultrasound and positive fine-needle aspiration (FNA) results were required to receive ALN dissection (ALND), which was not certain in the post-ACOSOG Z0011 era. We aim to evaluate the ALN metastasis burden in these patients, thus to illustrate whether they can follow the ACOSOG Z0011 trial procedure.MethodsClinically, T1-2 N0 breast cancer patients with positive preoperative ALN biopsy (FNA group) or 1-2 positive sentinel nodes (SLNB group) were retrospectively analyzed. ALN metastasis burden was compared between the two groups, which were further analyzed in certain subtypes. An association between clinicopathological factors and ≥ 3 ALN metastasis was also analyzed.ResultsA total of 388 patients were included: 202 in the FNA group and 186 in the SLNB group. The FNA group had a significantly higher number of positive ALN (5.18 vs. 1.77, P < 0.001) and a larger proportion of patients with ≥ 3 ALN metastasis (58.42% vs. 11.83%, P < 0.001) than the SLNB group, which was not influenced by different tumor size stage and molecular subtypes. ALN metastasis identified by FNA was independently associated with a high rate of ≥ 3 ALN metastasis (OR = 6.98, 95% CI 1.95-25.02, P = 0.003).ConclusionsPatients with positive preoperative ALN biopsy had a higher ALN metastasis burden than patients with 1-2 positive SLNs, which was also the strongest factor associated with ≥ 3 ALN metastasis, indicating that these patients are not appropriate to receive SLNB in the post-ACOSOG Z0011 trial era.