How do we evaluate sentinel nodes and interpret the findings? Journal Article
| Author: | Cody, H. S. 3rd |
| Article Title: | How do we evaluate sentinel nodes and interpret the findings? |
| Abstract: | Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has become standard care for axillary lymph node staging, allowing routine, pathologic SLN examination by serial sections (SS) and/or immunohistochemical (IHC) stains. Although these methods increase the accuracy of staging, the prognostic significance of SLN micrometastases (pN0i+ [< 0.2 mm] and pN1mi [0.2-2 mm]), and especially of those detected only by IHC, is controversial. Retrospective studies have addressed this issue by relating survival to size of nodal metastasis, or by using SS and/or IHC to reassess nodes initially staged as negative, and suggest but do not conclusively prove that SLN micrometastases are associated with a modest decrement in overall and/or disease-free survival. Because there is no current standardized protocol for the pathologic assessment of SLN, prospective trials in progress will establish whether SS and/or IHC are worthwhile. Copyright © 2009 by Current Medicine Group LLC. |
| Keywords: | immunohistochemistry; survival rate; overall survival; clinical trial; review; cancer combination chemotherapy; adjuvant therapy; cancer radiotherapy; disease free survival; outcome assessment; lymph node metastasis; antineoplastic agent; cancer diagnosis; lymph node dissection; diagnostic accuracy; laboratory diagnosis; prospective study; sentinel lymph node; sentinel lymph node biopsy; tumor localization; breast cancer; mastectomy; tumor volume; cohort analysis; clinical protocol; pathology; medical examination; disease severity; diagnostic value; laboratory test; clinical evaluation; surgical risk; tumor cell; micrometastasis; single drug dose; surgical mortality; cancer relapse; cancer classification; axilla; axillary lymph node extirpation; axillary lymph node metastasis; premenopause |
| Journal Title: | Current Breast Cancer Reports |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| ISSN: | 1943-4588 |
| Publisher: | Springer |
| Date Published: | 2009-03-01 |
| Start Page: | 12 |
| End Page: | 20 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12609-009-0003-7 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | --- - "Export Date: 30 November 2010" - "Source: Scopus" |
