Klin Onkol 2001; 14(5): 170-173.
Summary:
Background:
The value of different types of lymphadenectomy for staging and treatment of early stages of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains still controversial and prognostic benefit of radical lymphadenectomy is also questionable. The aim of this study was to identify specifically the first tumor draining lymph node (sentinel node) using patent blue dye, followed by sentinel node biopsy (SLNB), and to determine specificity of this ,,sentinel node technique” in predicting of subsequent lymph node levels state in early stages of NSCLC.
Design and subject:
Non-randomized single-center prospective study in 16 patients with small peripheral lung cancer (preoperativelly T1-2 N0-1 M0).
Methods and results:
Peritumorous pulmonary tissue was infiltrated with 4 ml of patent blue dye to identify the sentinel lymph node. The node was found in 13 of 16 patients with preoperatively diagnosed small peripheral NSCLC. Negativity of the sentinel lymph node corresponded with absence of more distant lymph nodes involvement in the lung and mediastinum in all of the members of our group.
Conclusions:
Patent blue dye may be used to facilitate the precise identification and therefore the subsequent biopsy of the sentinel lymph node. The role of SLNB in staging of NSCLC must be analyzed in further studies. However, this technique could probably minimize the extent of lymph node dissection.
