Abstract PO3-23-01: Triple-tracer Technique for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy of Breast Cancer after neoadjuvant Chemotherapy using Blue-dye, Radioisotope combined with Real-time Indocyanine green(ICG) Fluorescence Imaging Procrdures
Authors: Watanabe Hidetaka , Takao Yuko , Katagiri Yuriko , Sugihara Rie , Toh Uhi 
Published: May 2024

Background: For post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) patients (pts) with BC, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) was recommended using the dual-tracer mapping technique (radioisotope plus blue dye) or placing a biopsy clip into the positive node at diagnosis and identifying it at the time of surgery due to SN identification rates (IR) were lower and false negative rates (FNR) were greater for pts with local advanced breast cancer (BC) than those of pts with early stage BC in the absence of NAC. Our previous clinical trial has indicated that the real-time ICG fluorescence (RT-ICG) imaging technique could improve the diagnostic sensitivity and detection accuracy for SNB. Methods: Between April 2019 and May 2022, post-NAC SNB were successfully identified in 45 of 52 patients with stage ⅡA to ⅢB (T1-T3, N0-2, M0) who had histologically confirmed breast cancer selected to receive NAC and the standard surgeries were performed after finishing NAC. The SNs was detected by conventional procedures of blue-dye (Indigo carmine) plus 99mTc radioisotope (dual-tracer) and combined with concurrent RT-ICG technique. Clinical node positive (cN+) was diagnosed by the radiologists using axillary ultrasound, MRI and/or CT scan or assessed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The positivity of each single SN by each single tracer (blue dye, ICG, or isotope alone) was counted and identified, respectively. All patients are required to undergo SNB followed by completion axillary lymph node dissection (CND). Then the IR and FNR of each single tracer and their summation (triple tracer) were calculated by comparing the results of the SNB and the histopathology of the resection specimens of CND. Results: Among 45 post-NAC pts, the IR and FNR of each single procedure for SNB was 45.7% and 55.6% when used Indigo Carmine blue, 70.3% and 11.1% when used RI, 82.6% and 0 when used ICG fluorescence, respectively. In contrast, the total calculation of triple tracer showed that IR reached to 100% and FNR was 0, respectively. The IR of triple tracer were 83.9% and 100% for ypN0 and ypN(+) pts after NAC, both FNR were 0%. Conclusion: Our results suggested that the triple tracer technique combining blue dye, ICG, and isotope is effective method for detection of SNs in post-neoadjuvant cN+ BC pts. The IR and FNR of SNB might be improved by this multiple tracer mapping technique, particularly for pts with ypN(+) after NAC. It is considered that the multi-tracer can complement each other for what was not able to be traced and detected by the single tracer with one mapping material, and that result in totally the improvement of identification rate of SNB.

Citation Format: Hidetaka Watanabe, Yuko Takao, Yuriko Katagiri, Rie Sugihara, Uhi Toh. Triple-tracer Technique for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy of Breast Cancer after neoadjuvant Chemotherapy using Blue-dye, Radioisotope combined with Real-time Indocyanine green(ICG) Fluorescence Imaging Procrdures [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-23-01.