Sentinel lymph node biopsy using indocyanine green fluorescence navigation method after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer.

Abstract

e12108 Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) for initially clinically node-positive (cN1) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is controversial. Even if approximately 40% of node positive disease converts to node negative after NAC, SNB using blue dye (BD) and/or radioisotope (RI) agent showed the high false-negative rate (FNR) (SENTINA, ACOSOG Z1071). These trials showed the accuracy of SNB was closely related to the number of sentinel lymph nodes (SNs) removed. We presented the efficacy of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation method for SNB in clinically node-negative (cN0) patients (ASCO2008). The ICG method can provide higher numbers of SNs and it helps to identify lymph nodes with the remained metastases. Methods: Of 1900 patients (Jan. 2010 - Dec. 2016), 242 women with cN0 or cN1 received NAC: Group 0 (cN0 before NAC, n=150), Group 1 (cN1 converted ycN0 after NAC, n=71) , Group 2 (cN1 remained ycN1 after NAC, n=21). Node status was evaluated by ultrasound. All patients underwent SNB using both ICG- and BD-method together. Fluorescence images were obtained by a CCD camera with a cut filter as a detector, light emitting diodes at 760nm as the light source. ALND was performed in Group1 and Group 2. Results: Pathological complete nodal response rate (pcNRR) was 48.4%. Table shows the number of SNs removed by ICG or BD. SNs detection rates (ICG, BD): Group 0 (98.7%, 84.7%), Group 1 (98.6%, 83.1%), Group 2 (85.7%, 47.6%). Resulting of a FNR (ICG, BD): Group 1 (5.7%, 15.3%), Group 2 (22.2%, 60.0%). Conclusions: The pcNRR and a FNR of BD in Group 1 were similar to those of SENTINA or ACOSOGZ 1071 trials. In patients who converted from cN1 to ycN0, the fluorescent ICG method showed a high detection rate of SNs and a low FNR. [Table: see text]