First experiences with a new radiopharmaceutical for sentinel lymph node detection in malignant melanoma

Abstract

Summary Aim of this study was to localize the sentinel lymph node by lymphoscintigraphy using technetium-99m colloidal rhenium sulphide (Nanocis®), a new commercially available radiopharmaceutical. Due to the manufacturers’ instructions it is licensed for lymphoscintigraphy. Patients, methods: 35 consecutive patients with histologically proved malignant melanoma, but without clinical evidence of metastases, were preoperatively examined by injecting 20-40 MBq Nanocis® with (mean particle size: 100 nm; range: 50-200 nm) intradermally around the lesion. Additionally blue dye was injected intaoperatively. A hand-held gamma probe guided sentinel node biopsy. Results: During surgery, the preoperatively scintigraphically detected sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 34/35 (97%) patients. The number of sentinel nodes per patient ranged from one to four (mean: n = 1.8). Histologically, metastatic involvement of the sentinel lymph node was found in 12/35 (34%) patients; the sentinel lymph node positive-rate (14/63 SLN) was 22%. Thus, it is comparable to the findings of SLN-mapping using other technetium-99m-labeled nanocolloides. Conclusion: 99mTc-bound colloidal rhenium sulphide is also suitable for sentinel node mapping.