Axillary lymphoscintigraphy: current status in the treatment of breast cancer

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · CRC Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1040-8428(83)80002-X· OSTI ID:5728332

Fruehling, J G; Bourgeois, P

Postoperative axillary lymphoscintigraphy has been performed after time-differentiated intercostal and interdigital injections of a /sup 99/Tc-labeled sulfur microcolloid in 313 patients suffering from breast cancer who underwent radical surgery with axillary dissection. As demonstrated by the absence of visualized lymph nodes after both injections, the axillary dissection could be considered as complete in only 34.6% of the investigated patients. The greatest part of lymph nodes, remaining after surgery, corresponds to the inferior and central groups (after interdigital injection). In 15% of the cases the intercostal injection leads to the demonstration of external mammary lymph nodes. According to the analysis of 202 cases with at least 1 year follow-up, the existence of visualized residual lymph nodes represents a factor of risk to develop nodal relapse especially in patients with positive peroperative axillary lymph node status who did not receive postoperative X-ray treatment. Upper limb edema occurs in 22.5% of the cases; mainly in patients with negative lymphoscintigraphic findings (demonstrating the interruption of the axillary lymphatic flux) and without nodal irradiation. Postoperative axillary lymphoscintigraphic findings should be evaluated in connection with the peroperative axillary lymph node status as established according to the histological analysis, and should take into account the number of removed lymph nodes. Preoperative axillary lymphoscintigraphy seems to be a less contributive examination technique.

• Research Organization: Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
• OSTI ID: 5728332
• Journal Information: CRC Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol.; (United States), Journal Name: CRC Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol.; (United States) Vol. 1:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COLLOIDS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
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ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
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MAMMARY GLANDS
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURGERY
SYMPTOMS
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES