Slovenská chirurgia 3-4/2018

SentiMag – the magnetic detection system of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the feasibility of the new detection system of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer (SentiMag) and to compare it with standard method of detection with a radioisotope and a gamma-probe. Methods: Three patients with breast cancer were scheduled for sentinel lymphnode biopsy underwent standard lymphatic mapping with a radioisotope and also with the Sienna+ tracer. During the surgery, sentinel lymph nodes were identified preferably with the SentiMag system. The gamma-probe was used only at the end of the surgery to verify whether all sentinel lymphnodes had been harvested. Results: The sentinel lymph node was detected in all cases. Both methods agreed in 3 cases, i.e. the lymph node with the highest magnetic value ex vivo was the same node as the one with the highest radioactivity. A metastasis in the sentinel lymph node was found in every three patients. It is very likely that with the sole use of the SentiMag system, the results would have been identical to those of using the standard method with a radioisotope and the gamma-probe. Conclusion: The new magnetic detection method of sentinel lymph nodes (SentiMag) is feasible and clinically comparable to the gold standard method of detection with a radioisotope and the gamma-probe in patients with breast cancer. The new method could find its use not only in hospitals where the department of nuclear medicine is not available, but in all hospitals performing sentinel lymph nodes biopsies in breast cancer and possibly other types of cancer.

Keywords: breast cancer, sentinel node, sentinel lymph node biopsy, lymphoscintigraphy, SentiMag