Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Research Articles

Axillary management of a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy in the era of Abemaciclib in early Breast cancer

Axillary management of a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy in the era of Abemaciclib in early Breast cancer

Germinal centres within tumour positive sentinel lymph nodes are positively associated with tumour infiltrating lymphocytes and tertiary lymphoid structures in breast cancer

BackgroundStromal tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) and presence of tertiary lymphoid structures have been proposed as indicators of tumour-related immune response in breast cancer. An increased number of germinal centres (GCs) in lymph nodes is considered a sign of humoral immune reactivity. AimsIt is unclear whether a relationship exists between number and size of GCs within tumour positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNpos), sTILs and tertiary lymphoid structures within matched primary breast cancer and breast cancer subtype. MethodsAxillary SLNpos from 175 patients with breast cancer were manually contoured in digitized haematoxylin and eosin stained sections. Total SLN area, GC number and GC area were measured in SLNpos with the largest metastatic area. To correct for SLN size, GC number and GC area were divided by SLN area. sTILs and presence of tertiary lymphoid structures were assessed in the primary breast cancer. ResultsA higher GC number and larger GC area were found in patients with high sTILs (≥2%) (both P < 0.001) and in patients with presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (PGC number = 0.034 and PGC area = 0.016). Triple negative and HER2-positive (N = 45) breast cancer subtypes had a higher GC number and higher sTILs compared to hormone receptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer (N = 130) (PGC number < 0.001 and PsTILs= 0.001). ConclusionThis study suggests GCs measured within SLNpos might be useful indicators of the humoral anti-tumour immune response in breast cancer. Future studies are needed investigating underlying biological mechanisms and prognostic value of GCs in SLNs.

Prognostic value of the number of biopsied sentinel lymph nodes for Chinese patients with melanoma: A single-center retrospective study.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) helps to determine accurate pathological stages and facilitates strategies for regional disease control in melanoma. However, whether the number of biopsied sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) influences the patients' survival is rarely investigated. Acral or cutaneous melanoma patients with no history of nodal disease who received SLNB in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC) from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. Clinicopathological variables including Breslow index, ulceration, number of positive SLNs, SLN/non-SLN status were analyzed. The pathologic nodal (pN) stage and pathological stage were defined. A total of 381 eligible patients were enrolled in this study, of whom 132 (34.7%) patients were diagnosed with SLN-positive. The median number of biopsied SLNs was 2 (range: 1 to 20). Different numbers of biopsied SLNs did not influence the release-free survival (RFS) of the general patients. However, patients with >2 SLNs had a longer RFS than those with 1-2 SLNs in T4, N1a group and those who rejected complete lymph node dissection (CLND). In patients with T4 melanomas, N1a melanomas and those that did not undergo a CLND, the prognosis of those with three or more SLNs retrieved seemed to be improved.

A machine-learning approach based on multiparametric MRI to identify the risk of non-sentinel lymph node metastasis in patients with early-stage breast cancer.

It has been reported that patients with early breast cancer with 1-2 positive sentinel lymph nodes have a lower risk of non-sentinel lymph node (NSLN) metastasis and cannot benefit from axillary lymph node dissection. To develop the potential of machine learning based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical factors for predicting the risk of NSLN metastasis in breast cancer. This retrospective study included 144 patients with 1-2 positive sentinel lymph node breast cancer. Multiparametric MRI morphologic findings and the detailed demographical characteristics of the primary tumor and axillary lymph node were extracted. The logistic regression, support vector classification, extreme gradient boosting, and random forest algorithm models were established to predict the risk of NSLN metastasis. The prediction efficiency of a machine-learning-based model was evaluated. Finally, the relative importance of each input variable was analyzed for the best model. Of the 144 patients, 80 (55.6%) developed NSLN metastasis. A total of 24 imaging features and 14 clinicopathological features were analyzed. The extreme gradient boosting algorithm had the strongest prediction efficiency with an area under curve of 0.881 and 0.781 in the training set and test set, respectively. Five main factors for the metastasis of NSLN were found, including histological grade, cortical thickness, fatty hilum, short axis of lymph node, and age. The machine-learning model incorporating multiparametric MRI features and clinical factors can predict NSLN metastasis with high accuracy for breast cancer and provide predictive information for clinical protocol.

Is sentinel lymph node biopsy needed for lentigo maligna melanoma?

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is an area of debate in the management of lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM). The utility of SLNB and its prognostic value in LMM have not yet been studied with large databases. We performed a retrospective review of the National Cancer Database (2012-2020) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (2010-2019) database for patients with cutaneous nonmetastatic LMM with Breslow thickness >1.0 mm. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with SLNB performance and sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity. Univariable and multivariable analyses assessed overall survival (OS) and melanoma-specific survival (MSS) based on SLNB performance and SLN status. Compared to other melanoma subtypes, LMM had lower rates of SLNB (66.6% vs. 80.0%-84.0%) and SLN positivity (11.3% vs. 18.6%-34.2%). Compared to patients who did not undergo SLNB, SLN status was significantly associated with improved OS in patients with SLN positive (HR = 0.64 [0.55-0.76]) and SLN negative (HR = 0.68 [0.49-0.94]), and worse MSS only in patients with positive SLN (HR = 3.93, p < 0.05). The improved OS associated with SLNB likely implies surgical selection bias. Analysis of MSS confirms appropriate patient selection and suggests important prognostic value associated with SLN status. These results support continued SLNB for LMM patients according to standard guidelines.

Should patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer and one or two positive sentinel nodes undergo axillary dissection to determine candidacy foradjuvant abemaciclib?

The monarchE trial demonstrated improved outcomes with the use of adjuvant abemaciclib in patients with high-risk hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-)breast cancer defined as ≥4 positive lymph nodes (+LNs) or one to three +LNs with one or more additional high-risk features (HRFs). The proportion of patients with one or two positive sentinel lymph nodes (+SLNs) without HRFs who had ≥4 +LNs at the time of completion axillary lymph node dissection (cALND), and who therefore qualified for receipt of abemaciclib, was investigated. Females with pathologically node-positivenonmetastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer stratified by the number of +SLNs and +LNs and the presence of one or more HRFs were identified from the National Cancer Database (2018-2019). The proportion of patients meeting the criteria for abemaciclib both before and after ALND was assessed. Of the 22,048 patients identified, 1578 patients underwent upfront surgery, had one or two +SLNs without HRFs, and went on to cALND. Only 213 (13%) of these patients had ≥4 +LNs; thus, cALND performed solely to determine abemaciclib candidacy would have constituted surgical overtreatment in 1365 patients (87%). When stratified by the number of +SLNs, only 10% of those with one +SLN and 24% of those with two +SLNs had ≥4 +LNs after cALND, which meets the criteria for abemaciclib. Patients with one +SLN without HRFs are unlikely to have ≥4 +LNs and should not be subjected to the morbidity of ALND in order to inform candidacy for abemaciclib. An individualized multidisciplinary discussion should be undertaken about the risk:benefit ratio of ALND and abemaciclib for those with two +SLNs.

Clinical Experience of Axillary Radiotherapy for Node-positive Breast Cancer

AimsPatients with breast cancer who have positive lymph nodes are currently recommended axillary node clearance (ANC) or regional nodal irradiation (RNI). ANC is associated with complications such as lymphoedema, brachial plexopathy and shoulder stiffness. The AMAROS Group showed RNI to be non-inferior to ANC with regards to survival and recurrence, and with a better quality of life. We conducted a large real-world population study to show our centre's experience with the use of RNI and to contribute to the current discussion around the management of node-positive breast cancer. Materials and methodsWe evaluated patients who received RNI as opposed to ANC between 2006 and 2009 (n = 190). Patients had a range of cancer subtypes/grades. All had positive axillary disease, identified by axillary node sampling or sentinel lymph node biopsy. Systemic therapy was given as per standard protocol. Our data were compared with those of patients who had RNI (n = 681) in AMAROS. Patients were followed up retrospectively and overall survival, breast cancer-specific survival, distant metastasis-free survival, locoregional recurrence and toxicity were recorded, including lymphoedema, brachial plexopathy and shoulder stiffness. Survival analysis was performed on R via the Kaplan–Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were also performed. Toxicity data were reported as percentages. Patients meeting POSNOC trial criteria (one to two positive sentinel lymph nodes, macrometastasis, receiving adjuvant chemotherapy) including if oestrogen receptor-positive (stratified POSNOC) were identified for subgroup analysis in the regression model. ResultsLocoregional recurrence was 3.16% versus AMAROS RNI of 1.82%. Overall survival was slightly lower in our population, but cancer-specific survival was higher than AMAROS. Lymphoedema rates were 5.8% versus AMAROS 11% in RNI and 23% in ANC arms, respectively. Brachial plexopathy was 1.6% and arm/shoulder stiffness 7.4%. AMAROS conducted a quality of life survey pertaining to arm/shoulder stiffness, mobility and function, which seemed to affect about 18% in the RNI arm. Univariate analysis revealed POSNOC status, especially if also oestrogen receptor-positive, to be a low risk group with hazard ratio 0.42 (0.20–0.83, P = 0.015). Extracapsular extension of lymph node metastasis was a poor prognostic factor; hazard ratio 4.39 (1.45–14.0, P = 0.009). ConclusionWe support the conclusion of the AMAROS trial with survival and recurrence following RNI being non-inferior to ANC, and with similarly favourable toxicity data. We support the continuing use of RNI as a treatment option for patients with node-positive breast cancer. Further research is required to answer the key questions regarding personalised management for node-positive breast cancer, with regards to de-escalation and also intensification for the patients exhibiting adverse tumour biology.

Risk factors for sentinel lymph node metastasis in Korean acral and non-acral melanoma patients.

Breslow thickness, ulceration, and mitotic rate are well-known prognostic factors for sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis in cutaneous melanoma. We investigated risk factors, including especially the degree of pigmentation, for SLN metastasis in Korean melanoma patients. We enrolled 158, composed of Korean 107 acral and 51 non-acral melanoma patients who underwent SLN biopsy. Clinicopathologic features such as Breslow thickness, ulceration, mitotic rate, and the degree of pigmentation were evaluated. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate and date of recurrence were determined. Fifty-four patients (34.2%) had a positive SLN biopsy result. In a multivariate analysis, Breslow thickness (odds ratio [OR] 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-3.47; p = .022) and heavy pigmentation (OR 13.14; 95% CI, 2.96-95.20, p = .002) were associated with SLN metastasis. Positive SLN patients had a higher rate of loco-regional and/or distant recurrence (hazard ratio 6.32; 95% CI, 3.39-11.79; p < .001). Heavy pigmentation was associated with poor RFS. Heavy pigmentation is an independent predictor of SLN metastasis in both acral and non-acral melanoma. Our results suggest the need for in-depth SLN evaluation of cutaneous melanoma patients with heavy pigmentation and provide clinicians with important information for determining patient prognosis.

Pure and Mixed Variants of Desmoplastic Melanoma: A Single-Center, Retrospective, Clinicopathologic Review.

Desmoplastic melanoma (DM) is a rare melanoma variant. Prognostic indicators and survival vary widely and are further confounded by the histopathologic distinction between pure DM (pDM) and mixed DM (mDM) subtypes. The utility of current treatment guidelines is limited by the lack of evidence-based recommendations. To compare the clinicopathologic characteristics of pure and mixed subtypes of DMs. All cases of DM were identified from the Washington University in St Louis institutional pathology database between January 2000 and September 2022. Fifty-two cases were identified and subsequently categorized as pure ( n = 26) or mixed ( n = 26). Clinical and histopathologic data were collected and compared. There were no differences in demographics or tumor location between pure and mixed subtypes. Patients with mDM were more likely to have mitoses present ( p = .03). There were no differences in Breslow depth, tumor diameter, level of invasion, ulceration, and lymphovascular or perineural invasion. The utilization of sentinel lymph node biopsy ( p = .17) and sentinel lymph node positivity ( p = .67) were also similar. Despite histopathologic distinction between pDM and mDM, these subtypes were found to have similar clinicopathologic characteristics, including similar rates of sentinel lymph node metastasis.

The Impact of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy on Female Patients With T3-4c Breast Cancer and 1-2 Positive Lymph Nodes: A Population-Based Cohort Study

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients diagnosed with cT3-4c breast cancer with no more than 2 positive sentinel lymph nodes. MethodsUsing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, this retrospective study identified patients diagnosed with T3-4c breast cancer between 2010 and 2015. These patients were then categorized into 2 groups: the SLNB group, which underwent examination of 1-5 regional lymph nodes and the axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) group, which underwent examination of ≥10 regional lymph nodes. Propensity score matching analysis was used to assess the efficacy of SLNB in cT3-4c patients. ResultsA total of 1139 patients were included in the analysis, with 423 and 716 patients in the SLNB and ALND groups, respectively. The 10-year overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) rates in the SLNB group were 66.1% and 76.3%, respectively, compared with 66.0% and 73.8%, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of OS (HR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.80-1.25, P = .997) and BCSS (HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.83-1.41, P = .551). Even after 1:1 propensity score matching, there were no significant differences in OS (HR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.65-1.16, P = .341) and BCSS (HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.59-1.16, P = .266) between the 2 groups. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that SLNB does not adversely affect the survival of cT3-4c breast cancer patients with 1-2 sentinel lymph node metastases.

Recurrence patterns and clinical management after a positive sentinel node biopsy in melanoma patients

Introduction Melanoma patients who become stage III after a positive sentinel node biopsy (SNB) may have several patterns of recurrence Patients and methods Retrospective analysis of melanoma patients who have undergone SNB in a single institution from 2000 to 2015. Results There were 111 recurrences (45.1%) among 246 (20.3%) SNB positive patients and median DRFS was 77.7 months. After initial treatment, further recurrences occurred in 68 (77.3%) patients, regardless the site of initial recurrence Conclusions Multimodal strategies are recommended to achieve better results when managing stage III melanoma patients after a positive SNB

Patterns of completion axillary dissection for patients with cT1-2N0 breast cancer undergoing total mastectomy with positive sentinel lymph nodes.

The ACOSOGZ0011 trial found that overall survival (OS) for patients with 1-2 positive nodes undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy-alone (SLNB) was noninferior to completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), but excluded patients undergoing mastectomy. Our study examined patterns of ALND and its relationship with OS for SLNB-positive patients undergoing mastectomy. The National Cancer Database was queried (2010-2017) for patients with cT1-2N0 breast cancer undergoing mastectomy with positive sentinel lymph nodes. Clinical data were compared. Of 20 001 patients, 11 574 (57.9%) underwent SLNB + ALND, and 8427 (42.1%) had SLNB-alone. The SLNB + ALND group had more positive nodes (mean 2.6 vs. 1.3, p < 0.001) and more frequently received nodal radiation (33.4% vs. 28.9%, p < 0.001). Patients diagnosed in later years were less likely to undergo ALND (2010: reference; 2017:odds ratio: 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.25-0.33, p < 0.001). ALND (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.97, 95%CI: 0.89-1.06, p = 0.49) and nodal radiation (HR: 0.92, 95%CI: 0.83-1.02, p = 1.06) were not independently associated with OS. Propensity-score matched 5-year OS was similar (SLNB + ALND: 90.9% vs.SLNB-alone: 90.3%, p = 0.65). For patients undergoing mastectomy for cT1-2N0 breast cancer with positive SLNB, SLNB-alone was common and increased over time. Axillary radiation was not routinely delivered in the SLNB-alone group. Completion ALND and nodal radiation were not associated with improved survival.

Prediction of Sentinel Node Positivity Risk in Melanoma Patients: When Appropriate Statistical Methodology was Employed an i31-GEP Test Did Not Outperform a Tool that Uses Clinicopathologic Features Only

Not applicable

Conservative Axillary Surgery May Prevent Arm Lymphedema without Increasing Axillary Recurrence in the Surgical Management of Breast Cancer.

Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) has been associated with postoperative morbidities, including arm lymphedema, shoulder dysfunction, and paresthesia. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy emerged as a method to assess axillary nodal status and possibly obviate the need for ALND in patients with clinically node-negative (cN0) breast cancer. The majority of breast cancer patients are eligible for SLN biopsy only, so ALND can be avoided. However, there are subsets of patients in whom ALND cannot be eliminated. ALND is still needed in patients with three or more positive SLNs or those with gross extranodal or matted nodal disease. Moreover, ALND has conventionally been performed to establish local control in clinically node-positive (cN+) patients with a heavy axillary tumor burden. The sole method to avoid ALND is through neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Recently, various forms of conservative axillary surgery have been developed in order to minimize arm lymphedema without increasing axillary recurrence. In the era of effective multimodality therapy, conventional ALND may not be necessary in either cN0 or cN+ patients. Further studies with a longer follow-up period are needed to determine the safety of conservative axillary surgery.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy for head and neck malignancies utilizing simultaneous radioisotope gamma probe and indocyanine green fluorescence navigation.

We depict an innovative surgical approach for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in head and neck malignancies that utilizes both near-infrared (NIR) imaging with indocyanine green (ICG) dye and hand-held gamma probe intraoperatively to isolate and excise SLNs. Twenty-one patients presented to our institution with cutaneous melanoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and oral cavity SCC tumors that met criteria for SLNB based on tumor depth and histology. The video offers a step-by-step approach for this technique along with descriptions of recommended equipment. Among 21 patients, two patients had positive SLNs on final pathology. One patient developed a local recurrence over an average of 16.2 months of follow-up (SD = 15.6). SLNB with ICG and radionucleotide co-localization may enhance the identification of sentinel nodes without compromising outcomes in the hands of surgeons well-versed in the technique.

Impact of anesthesia choice in cutaneous melanoma surgery.

Invasive cutaneous melanoma is the most lethal skin cancer, but fortunately, the vast majority can be surgically treated with wide local excision, and sometimes additionally with sentinel or index lymph node biopsy for prognostication. Melanomas are particularly immunogenic malignancies, and preclinical studies have demonstrated that use of volatile anesthetics and opioids, unlike local agents, can suppress the immune system during the perioperative period. Immunosuppression has implications for creating a potentially favorable microenvironment for the survival and propagation of residual melanoma cells or micro-metastases, which could lead to disease relapse, both in the local tumor bed and distally. Results from observational clinical studies are mixed, but the literature would suggest that patients are at risk of decreased melanoma-specific survival after undergoing general anesthesia compared to regional anesthesia and spinal blocks. With the safety of close observation now established rather than automatic completion or total lymph node dissection for patients with either a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy or significant clinical response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy after index node sampling, the indications for definitive surgery with local or regional anesthesia have increased tremendously in recent years. Therefore, cutaneous melanoma patients might benefit from avoidance of general anesthesia and other perioperative drugs that suppress cell-mediated immunity if the option to circumvent systemic anesthesia agents is feasible.

Comparing P53 expression and genome-wide transcriptome profiling to Comet assay in lymphocytes from melanoma patients and healthy controls.

This study compared the expression of TP53 in lymphocytes from malignant melanoma (MM) patients with positive sentinel nodes to healthy controls (HCs) following exposure to various doses of UVA radiation. The Lymphocyte Genome Sensitivity (LGS) assay indicated significant differences in DNA damage in lymphocytes between MM patients and HCs. qPCR data demonstrated an overall 3.4-fold increase in TP53 expression in lymphocytes from MM patients compared to healthy controls, following treatment with 0.5 mW/cm2 UVA radiation. Western blotting confirmed that p53 expression was increased in MM lymphocytes following UVA exposure compared to healthy individuals. Genome transcriptome profiling data displayed differences in gene expression between UVA-treated lymphocytes from MM patients and HCs. Peripheral lymphocytes from MM patients are more susceptible to the genotoxic effects of UVA compared to healthy individuals. Our previous studies showed that UVA exposure of various intensities caused significant differences in the levels of DNA damage between lymphocytes from cancer patients compared to HCs through the LGS assay. The present study's results provide further credibility to the LGS assay as a screening test for cancer detection. Peripheral lymphocytes could be a promising blood biopsy biomarker for staging of carcinomas and prevention of carcinoma progression at early stages.

Concordance between Axillary Ultrasound and Sentinel Biopsy in Clinically Node-Negative Early Breast Cancer

Objective: To determine the sensitivity of axillary ultrasound in detecting axillary nodal metastasis in clinically and radiologically uninvolved axillary nodes in early carcinoma breast by comparing with sentinel node biopsy histopathology on frozen section. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study: Breast Clinic, CMH, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Aug 2020 to May 2021. Methodology: Patients included in the study presented with breast cancer lesions with clinically impalpable axillary lymph nodes aged 18-75. Patients with clinically impalpable nodes underwent an ultrasound of the axilla; if suspicious nodes were found, the patient had subsequent axillary node dissection. Sentinel node biopsy (SLNB) was performed on axillary ultrasound in all patients with no suspicious or benign-looking nodes. Histopathological reporting was taken as standard. Lymph nodal status on axillary ultrasound, SLN biopsy and axillary lymph node clearance were documented and analyzed. Results: Twenty-nine patients were included who had benign-looking lymph nodes on axillary ultrasound and underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy. The mean age of the patients was 54.03 ± 7.94. Out of 29 patients, 24(82.8%) patients had negative Sentinel lymph node biopsy, and 5(17.2%) had positive Sentinel lymph node biopsy, who then underwent axillary lymph node dissection. Conclusion: Sentinel lymph node biopsy is the gold standard to determine axillary lymph nodes involved in early carcinoma breast, which seem benign on pre-operative axillary ultrasound.

Primary Melanoma Histopathologic Predictors of Sentinel Lymph Node Positivity: A Proposed Scoring System for Risk Assessment and Patient Selection in a Clinical Setting.

Background and Objectives: The careful selection of adequate SLNB candidates not only aims at reducing the surgical risk while identifying SLN metastasis, but also plays a crucial role in identifying the patients eligible for adjuvant therapy. Objectives: The purpose of our study was to investigate the clinical and histologic aspects of primary melanomas that correlate with the likelihood of a positive SLNB result. Materials and Methods: A total of 101 primary melanoma patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsies were included in the study. General patient demographics were obtained as well as localization and melanoma-specific characteristics of primary melanoma from histologic reports in addition to data derived from SLNB melanoma histopathology reports. Results: The patients with positive SLN results had a statistically significant increased Breslow thickness (3.8 mm vs. 1.97 mm, p = 0.002), higher mitotic index rate (5/mm2 vs. 2/mm2, p = 0.009), as well as the presence of ulceration (68.4% vs. 31.6%, p = 0.007). Univariate regression analysis showed the Breslow thickness (p = 0.008), the mitotic index rate (p = 0.054), the presence of ulceration (p = 0.009), as well as the pT3-4 stage (p = 0.009) to be significant predictors of SLN positivity. The optimal cut-off values for Breslow thickness and the number of mitoses scores were determined based on ROC curve analysis. Using the Breslow thickness, mitotic index rate, presence of ulceration, and pT3-4 stage significant coefficients from the univariate regression model, a chance prediction score was developed. Conclusions: The newly developed and proposed scoring system can aid in patient selection for SLN biopsy by facilitating a more efficient risk assessment in the detection of lymph node metastases in melanoma patients.

99mTc-Tilmanocept vs. Sulfur Colloid for Sentinel Node Biopsy for Melanoma in the Head and Neck.

The objective of the study is to compare sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification rates and performance characteristics of lymphoscintigraphy using 99mTc-sulfur colloid (SC) and 99mTc-tilmanocept (TL) for head and neck cutaneous melanoma.This study is a retrospective study, conducted at a single, tertiary care cancer center.Patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for head and neck cutaneous melanoma, using SC or TL, between October 2014 and February 2019. Differences in SLN identification rates and performance characteristics between the groups were examined using the Mann-Whitney, or Fisher's exact test. Sixty patients underwent SLNB, of which 19 employed TL. There were no significant differences between SC vs. TL in operative duration (116 vs. 127min, P = 0.97), radiation dose (530 vs. 547μCi, P = 0.27), median number of SLNs removed (3 vs. 2, P = 0.32), or median follow-up (46.3 vs. 38.4months, P = 0.11). The rates of positive SLNs (17% vs. 37%, P = 0.11), intraoperative non-localization (12% vs. 16%, P = 0.70), and false-negative SLNB (5% each, P = 1.00) were not significantly different between groups. In patients with head and neck melanoma undergoing SLNB, 99mTc-tilmanocept may not differ from 99mTc-sulfur colloid in identifying SLNs or other performance characteristics. The added expense related to 99mTc-tilmanocept and lack of favorable performance data should urge caution in its adoption and promote further examination of its value in similar patient cohorts.