Sentinel lymph node biopsy using single-agent mapping tracer (blue dye) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in a Brazilian cohort of breast cancer patients. Real world evidence
Resende, Heloisa MagdaLichtenfels, MartinaSoares, Igor CamargoRenó, Angélica Araújo Cortines LaxeCunha, Ana PaulaFalcão, Pedro GustavoPieroni, Carolina Soares PimentelAssis, Biazi Ricieri deCardoso, PaolaMarassi, Pedro Henrique AdárioReis, Rafael dos Santos
ABSTRACT Purpose To reduce false-negative rates (FNR) in sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) of clinically positive (cN+) axilla in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The removal of three or more lymph nodes with dual-tracer mapping including a radioisotope was used. However, in the Brazilian Unified Health System, the radioisotope tracer is not feasible in some hospitals. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the detection rate of sentinel lymph node (SLN) in patients who converted from cN+ to ycN0 after NAC using blue dye as a single-agent mapping tracer. Methods During the period of March 2018 to September 2019, 34 patients who underwent NAC with cN+ who converted to ycN0 were enrolled in the study. The SLNB was performed using blue dye as a single-agent mapping followed by axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Results The detection rate of sentinel lymph node was of 85.3%, being SLNB not possible for five patients (14.7%), due to fibrosis. The mean number of removed SLN was 2.5. Conclusions The use of blue dye as a single-agent mapping tracer demonstrated an acceptable detection rate of 85.3%. Although the FNR was possible to be determined, the small sample size might overestimate this rate. The removal of three or more lymph nodes with single-agent mapping tracer might be indicated for breast cancer patients who converted to ycN0 after NAC in the Brazilian health public services, in which radioisotope tracer is not suitable.
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