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Annals of Surgical Oncology
Published in: Annals of Surgical Oncology 2/2018

01-02-2018 | Breast Oncology

Ultrasound-Guided Restaging and Localization of Axillary Lymph Nodes After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Guidance of Axillary Surgery in Breast Cancer Patients: Experience with Activated Charcoal

Authors: Won Hwa Kim, MD, Hye Jung Kim, MD, PhD, Jin Hyang Jung, MD, Ho Yong Park, MD, Jeeyeon Lee, MD, Wan Wook Kim, MD, Ji Young Park, MD, Yee Soo Chae, MD, Soo Jung Lee, MD

Published in: Annals of Surgical Oncology | Issue 2/2018

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Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to review our experience with ultrasound (US)-guided localization of axillary lymph nodes using activated charcoal for the guidance of axillary surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in clinically node-positive breast cancer patients.

Methods

Between April 2016 and April 2017, US-guided localization of the most suspicious axillary lymph nodes at restaging US using activated charcoal (Charcotrace™) was performed in 45 consecutive, clinically node-positive breast cancer patients who had less than two suspicious nodes after NAC and axillary surgery with sentinel node biopsy. Sentinel nodes were defined as radioactive nodes or nodes containing blue dye. The concordance between final pathological results for both the tattooed and sentinel nodes was analyzed.

Results

Sentinel node biopsy failed in five patients (11%) in whom axillary surgery was performed under the guidance of the tattooed node. The tattooed nodes were identified in the surgical field in 44 patients (98%). Of the 44 tattooed nodes, 25 (57%) were concordant with the sentinel nodes and 19 (43%) were non-sentinel nodes, including the five nodes with failed sentinel node biopsy. In the final pathological results, 18 patients (40%) had metastatic nodes. The sensitivities for detecting axillary metastasis of the sentinel node biopsy, tattooed node biopsy, and the sentinel and/or tattooed node biopsy were 61% (11/18), 67% (12/18), and 78% (14/18), respectively.

Conclusion

US-guided localization of axillary lymph nodes using activated charcoal at restaging after NAC in clinically node-positive breast cancer patients is a useful technique to guide axillary surgery, with a high identification rate.
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Metadata
Title
Ultrasound-Guided Restaging and Localization of Axillary Lymph Nodes After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Guidance of Axillary Surgery in Breast Cancer Patients: Experience with Activated Charcoal
Authors
Won Hwa Kim, MD
Hye Jung Kim, MD, PhD
Jin Hyang Jung, MD
Ho Yong Park, MD
Jeeyeon Lee, MD
Wan Wook Kim, MD
Ji Young Park, MD
Yee Soo Chae, MD
Soo Jung Lee, MD
Publication date
01-02-2018
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Annals of Surgical Oncology / Issue 2/2018
Print ISSN: 1068-9265
Electronic ISSN: 1534-4681
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-017-6250-3

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