Abstract P2-01-17: The combination of preoperative computed tomography lymphography and intraoperative fluorescence imaging navigation for sentinel lymph node biopsy of early breast cancer patients
Authors: Abe H , Teramoto A , Yamasaki K , Yoneda K , Ogawa M , Kawasaki M , Kameyama M 
Published: March 2017

Background: Sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) biopsy has been established as a standard of care in the treatment of early breast cancer. This technique represents a minimally invasive, highly accurate method of axillary staging and is an alternative to conventional axillary lymph node dissection. The combination of the radioisotope and dye-staining methods is the most accurate way to identify SLN. We had reported feasibility and safety of a new technique of SLN identification using fluorescence imaging of indocyanine green (ICG) injection without any need for training. Recently, SLN identification using computed tomography lymphography (CTLG) has been reported in Japan. This study investigated a usefulness of the combination of CTLG and fluorescence imaging for SLN biopsy of early breast cancer patients.

Patients and method: Between January 2013 and March 2016, 296 breast cancer patients without clinical evidence of lymph node metastasis were treated. On the day before the operation, CTLG was performed using 64-row multidetector CT. We performed an intradermal injection in the periareolar area, using 4 ml of contrast agent with 1 ml of local anesthetic. The contrasted lymph route and SLN were identified in reconstructed three-dimensional imaging. The SLN spot was indicated by CT laser light navigator system. We established typical pattern of the lymphography: stain defect of SLN, stagnation of lymphatic route for preoperative diagnosis of metastatic SLN. During the operation, fluorescence images were obtained using the fluorescence imaging system, Photpdynamic Eye (pde-neo, Hamamatsu Photonics Co., Japan). After 0.5 ml dye mixed indigocarmin and ICG was injected intradermally into the periareolar skin, lymphatic route was observed with fluorescence images. SLN biopsy was performed referring to the point by axillary compression technique by plastic device. Intraoperative pathological analysis of SLN was examined.

Results: The median age of the 296 patients was 59 (range 28 – 90) years old. One patient was male and others were female. CTLG and fluorescence imaging were safely performed in all patients. CTLG could visualize lymphatic route and accurately identify SLN in 284 (95.9 %) and 290 (98.0 %) cases, respectively, whereas fluorescence imaging identified successfully lymphatic route and SLN in all patients. Lymphatic routes of CTLG were completely consistent with those of fluorescence imaging. The number of SLN identified by CTLG was significantly lower than that by fluorescence imaging (1.1 vs. 1.6, p&lt;0.01). Thirty-nine of 296 patients had metastatic SLN pathologically, and 10 of them had micrometastases of SLNs. The accuracy for metastatic diagnosis of SLN using CTLG without micrometastasis was 83.9 %, sensitivity was 82.1 % and specificity was 84.1 %. The positive predictive value was 35.9 % and negative predictive value was 97.7 %.

Conclusion: The combination of CTLG and fluorescence imaging revealed easy and effective to detect SLN. The fluorescence imaging was more high detection rate and number of SLN than CTLG. Otherwise, preoperative diagnosis of SLN metastasis using CTLG would be useful to detect negative SLNs.

Citation Format: Abe H, Teramoto A, Yamasaki K, Yoneda K, Ogawa M, Kawasaki M, Kameyama M. The combination of preoperative computed tomography lymphography and intraoperative fluorescence imaging navigation for sentinel lymph node biopsy of early breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-01-17.