PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

I Veys

Publications and source records attributed to I Veys.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

How 'hot' is the pathologically positive sentinel lymph node in breast cancer patients?

When many lymph nodes are found by using lymphoscintigraphic techniques performed to detect the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in breast cancer, it is usual to find that the 'hottest' SLN is not always the node that is pathologically positive (pN+). Various criteria have been proposed to define which radioactive lymph nodes should be removed. In order to determine the frequency with which the hottest SLN 'fails' to be pN+, and to determine which criteria best define the radioactive lymph node to be removed, we reviewed and analysed our cases in which more than one SLN was detected and where there was also at least one pN+ node. From a series of 181 patients, 40 were selected. In 11 of these 40 cases (27.5%), the hottest SLN was not pN+. Radioactivity levels in the pN+SLN of these 11 patients ranged from 2% to 94% of the activity of the hottest SLN. Twenty-one patients (52.5%) showed only micrometastatic (pN1a) disease in one or more SLNs. In four of these patients (19%) the pN1a SLN was not the hottest node. Two of the patients had radioactivity levels in the pN+SLN which were more than 50% of that of the hottest SLN. In another two of these patients (9.5%), radioactivity levels were lower than 50% of that of the hottest node (respectively, 38% and 2%). However, in these two last cases, the first and hottest SLN removed surgically was found, by the pathologist, to consist of six nodes. Macrometastases (dimensions greater than 2 mm) were found in 19 patients. In 12 of these patients, the hottest SLN was macrometastatic although macrometastases and/or micrometastases were found in other 'cooler' SLNs in four of them. In another seven of these patients (36.8%), macrometastases were found in SLNs with radioactive levels lower than 51% of that of the hottest node. One patient (with three SLNs) out of the 40 (2.5%) had one SLN pN+ with less than 10% of that of the hottest. In fact, it contained only one micrometastasis and its activity was equal to 2%. Upon pathological examination, however, the hottest lymph 'node' was found to consist of six nodes. It is concluded that, with four intra-mammary and peritumoural injections of 99mTc labelled nanosized colloids of Human Serum Albumin (Nanocoll R: Sorin: 74 MBq and 0.05 mg per injection) performed 18-24 h before using a gamma probe to detect the SLNs, the hottest SLN was not the pathologically positive node in 27.5% of patients in our series. By using the activity in the hottest SLN as the reference point, and 10% of this activity as the lower threshold for removing active SLNs, the sensitivity of the technique is 97.5%.

Adult↗

[Sentinel node involvement in T0-T1 breast cancers].

STUDY AIM: Determination of axillary lymph node status is crucial in diagnosis of early breast cancer. However thanks to an early diagnosis, an increasing number of axillary lymph node dissections are free of disease. This raises questions about the need for this procedure. The study aim was to report an experience with lymphadenectomy and sentinel node mapping in patients with T0-T1 carcinoma of the breast. METHODS: Between November 1997 and December 1999, 84 consecutive women (T0-T1 N0 according to the 1987 UICC classification) with recently diagnosed breast cancer, were included in this study for identification of the sentinel lymph node (SLN). The SLN was removed and submitted for histological examination. All patients underwent axillary dissection; nodes from levels I and II (Berg's classification) were excised and submitted to histological examination. RESULTS: The average tumor diameter was 12.7 mm (range, 3 to 25 mm). The lymphatic mapping technique was obtained after injection of the isotope into the breast around the tumor in 53/84 patients: the sentinel lymph node was the only positive node in 10 patients and it was positive in 5 patients with other axillary nodes. In 15/84 patients, an intradermal injection of blue dye was used; two sentinel nodes were positive and one falsely negative. In 16/84 patients, an interdermal injection of blue dye was used to make up for. In this study, the sentinel node was positive in three patients and falsely negative in one patient. The discrepancy was due to an important involvement of an axillary area excluded from the lymphatic channels. 22/84 patients (26%) had a metastatic spread to the axillary nodes. 30/84 patients had also an isotopic captation in another lymph node group (internal mammary). CONCLUSION: This study confirms that lymphatic mapping is technically possible in the patients with T0-T1 breast cancer and that the histological characteristics of the sentinel node probably reflect the histological characteristics of the rest of the axillary lymph nodes, but do not provide any information about the other lymph node sites.

Adult↗

[Breast cancer and pregnancy. Review of the literature].

INTRODUCTION: The pregnancy-associated breast cancer seems to have become increasingly common with a high frequency of advanced breast cancer with axillary node metastases and so associated with poor prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review examines the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of cancer during pregnancy; both in terms of the cancer's effect on the pregnancy, and the pregnancy's effect on the cancer. RESULTS: Diagnostic procedures (breast sonography) and excisional biopsies are necessary to reduce the delay of several months or more after discovery of a mass and before treatment. No histological difference, between patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer and patients with non-pregnancy-associated breast cancer, was diagnosed. CONCLUSION: The treatment is linked to the effects of adjuvant therapy on the fetus.

Adult↗

[Male breast cancer].

From 1974 till 1993, 9 patients have been treated in our Hospital for a breast cancer. Compared with the amount of women breast cancers treated, actually near 300 per year, this 0.3% figure seems small, and is lower than that found in the literature (1%). The therapeutic attitude is the same as that proposed for women. The follow-up varied from 9 to 120 months with a mean of 57. Five patients are actually still living without recurrence. One patient presented a local recurrence, one was lost sight off and two died from their cancer. Despite the fact that it was a small group of patients we can say that the symptoms, the clinical staging, the proposed treatments and the survival rate are the same as found in the literature.

Adult↗

Retrospective analysis of 29 patients surgically treated for hepatocellular adenoma or focal nodular hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatocellular adenoma resection and focal nodular hyperplasia supervision are widely recognized as the best management when these benign liver tumors are diagnosed. Differential diagnosis is thus mandatory. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-nine patients with a presumed benign liver tumor were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Histopathological analysis of these resected liver tumors demonstrated hepatocellular adenoma in 16 patients and focal nodular hyperplasia in 13. One hepatocellular carcinoma was disclosed into a hepatocellular adenoma and 2 hepatocellular adenoma showed foci of liver-cell dysplasia. Seven patients with hepatocellular adenoma (43%) had evidence of intratumoral hemorrhage, among which 3 patients were admitted with intraperitoneal tumoral rupture. Computed tomography, performed in 26 patients, was the most reliable examination to characterize these presumed benign liver tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging concerned only 5 patients but 3 hepatocellular adenoma and 1 focal nodular hyperplasia were diagnosed. The indications of focal nodular hyperplasia surgical resection were chronic pain (4 pts), hepatocellular adenoma diagnosis (4 pts), undeterminate liver mass (2 pts), a liver mass of unknown origin in patients with a neoplastic history (3 pts). A diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia assumed by the imaging work-up was always histologically confirmed. All the patients underwent hepatic resection with no mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This report underlines the risk of hemorrhage or malignant transformation of hepatocellular adenoma that justifies a safety surgical resection. An imaging work-up in favor of focal nodular hyperplasia allows radiological observation.

Adenoma, Liver Cell↗

The place for surgery in central recurrences of invasive cancer of cervix uteri.

Between 1988 and 1991, at the Jules Bordet Institute in Brussels, 11 patients were submitted to a surgical treatment due to an uterus cervix central recurrence. The majority were of the epidermoid type. The primary stage of the lesion at the moment of diagnosis varied from stage Ib to stage IIIb lesions. Six of the eleven patients were not submitted to an adequate initial treatment. These recurrences appeared between the 4th and the 264th month after the initial treatment. The treatments, which were determined according to the site of recurrence, consisted of: an anterior pelvic exenteration for four patients, a total exenteration for one patient, for two of them a total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and partial cystectomy, a cervix amputation for another one and finally, for the last three ones, a laparotomy with debulking or derivation colostomy. The mortality during and after the operation was nil but there were several short term complications. After a minimal 19 months follow-up we could see that three patients survived, one was generalized and seven died. Due to the scarce number of patients and pathological disparity of them, the authors reviewed the literature concerning this problem, in order to determine some guidelines for similar cases. In spite of its consequences, surgery seems to be the only valid solution to propose to these patients, not only to give them a chance to survive but also to improve their life quality.

Adult↗

Hernia of the diaphragm: a clinical case and review of the literature.

Diaphragmatic rupture occurs in 25% of the thoracic and abdominal blunt injuries. It may be discovered immediately or sometimes several months or even years after the trauma. The diagnosis can be made easily on the basis of a standard chest X-ray. Barium swallow examination, computerized tomography Scan and especially Magnetic resonance imaging can be helpful for differential diagnosis. Surgical treatment is always necessary.

Adult↗