The use of FDG-PET for axillary lymph node staging in breast cancer

Abstract

760 Background: Axillary lymph node dissection is known as a standard method for evaluation of metastatic axillary lymph node in breast cancer. But recently, sentinel lymph node biopsy is also accepted as a new standard Method: PET is a non invasive imaging study used for positive metastatic lymph node inspection. In this study, we determined the specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of PET in evaluation of axillary lymph node status. Methods: 34 subjects were recruited who had invasive breast cancer with clinically negative axillary lymph node (2 patients received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy).The median size of primary tumor was 1.95cm (range 0.7∼7.0cm), and PET was performed within 3 days before surgery. 9 subjects received sentinel lymph node biopsy alone, while additional lymph node dissection was performed in 25 subjects. Dissected lymph nodes were sent for H&E (hematoxylin and eosin) and immmunohistochemistry staining to investigate the presence of...