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Sentinel lymph node biopsy to stage patients with cutaneous melanoma at the National Cancer Institute of Naples. Results from 240 sentinel node biopsies.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The presence of lymph node metastases in patients with cutaneous melanoma represents the basis for correct therapy planning and is the most powerful prognostic factor to evaluate overall survival at diagnosis. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Since 1992, when Dr. Morton published his first experience, the sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy technique seems to have resolved this matter by correctly staging patients. We analyzed our data from 240 SLN biopsies performed in the last five years at the National Cancer Institute of Naples, evaluating the total identification rate and the nodal recurrence rate, and compared them with the preliminary data of the MSLT (melanoma sentinel lymph node trial). RESULTS: Of all SLNs evaluated 18.5% were micrometastatic and 14% were identified by immunohistochemical staining. Forty-one patients had metastatic SLNs and nodal dissection of the positive basins revealed no other tumor-positive lymph nodes in more than 80% of them. All patients with a Breslow thickness of less than 2 mm had micrometastases only in the SLN, while with increasing thickness two, three or more positive nodes were found. Among SLN-negative patients nine (4%) developed lymph node recurrence in the previously treated basin and were therefore considered as false negative SLN biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic value of SLN biopsy needs to be confirmed by the final results of the MSLT evaluating the therapeutic use of this procedure in patients with a Breslow thickness of less than 2 mm and its possible impact on the course of the disease.

Adolescent↗

Lymph node dissection in surgical treatment for remnant stomach cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lymphatic flow and the incidence of lymph node metastasis in remnant stomach cancer after distal gastrectomy are obscure. There is consequent controversy about appropriate lymph node dissection in such cases. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-three consecutive patients with remnant stomach cancer and 44 consecutive patients primary gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach were investigated retrospectively about lymphatic flow by injection of activated carbon particles, and about the incidence of lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Lymphatic flow and the incidence of lymph node metastasis in remnant stomach cancer after distal gastrectomy without lymph node dissection were the same as those in primary gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach. Lymphatic flow after distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection frequently streamed toward the para-aortic lymph nodes through the lymph nodes along the greater curvature and the suprapancreatic lymph nodes. Lymphatic flow toward the jejunal and colonic mesentery was observed regardless of the method of reconstruction. This lymphogenesis was clearly observed, especially in patients with tumors invading the anastomosis site of Billroth-II reconstruction. Station Nos. 110 (lower paraesophageal) and 111 (supradiaphragmatic) lymph nodes were also stained, despite being considered sites of distant metastasis irrespective of the method of reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the evidence of altered lymphatic flow and the incidence of lymph node metastases in remnant stomach cancer, left upper abdominal evisceration with para-aortic lymph node dissection should be performed in advanced remnant stomach cancer.

Aged↗

Spontaneous infarction of superficial lymph nodes.

Five cases of extensive infarction of lymph nodes were traced in just over 16 years' surgical material. All presented with painful swelling in a superficial lymph node chain. None was diagnosed clinically; two were interpreted as fibroadenoma of the axillary tail of the breast, and two as a femoral hernia. Microscopically the lymph nodes in the first three weeks after infarction were characterized by extensive necrosis of medullary and cortical lymphoid cells, but the central reticulin architecture and a narrow, incomplete rim of viable subcapsular lymphoid tissue were preserved. Reactive perinodal inflammation and the formation of granulation tissue resembled the reaction to myocardial infarction. The late stage of the lesion was characterized by incomplete regeneration of lymphoid tissue in the lymph nodes. The lesions appeared attributable to thrombosis of veins within the substance and the hila of the nodes.

Adenofibroma↗

[Computer tomographic evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes in bronchial cancer].

Of all the mediastinal lymph nodes, the retrocaval and pre-tracheal groups can be most frequently demonstrated by computer tomography. With the aim of providing better quantitative assessment, the maximal diameter of these lymph nodes was measured in five patient groups: I Control group (132 cases), II patients with inflammatory lung disease (17 patients), III patients operated for bronchial carcinoma, but without lymph node involvement (62 patients), IV patients operated for bronchial carcinoma with lymph node involvement (eight patients), V patients who have not had surgery, but who had enlarged lymph nodes (16 patients).

Adenocarcinoma↗

Value of frozen sections of lymph nodes in pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients with invasive bladder tumor.

AIM: We examined the reliability of classical lymph node evaluation methods. We compared the results of preoperative computed tomography (CT) and perioperative frozen section examination of lymph nodes in patients on whom radical cystectomy was performed because of invasive bladder tumors. METHODS: A total of 142 patients, in whom radical cystectomy was performed because of invasive bladder tumors between the years 1994 and 2005 in our clinic, and 284 pelvic lymph node regions were evaluated retrospectively. For each of the pelvic lymph node region, the conditions of the lymph nodes according to CT and in frozen sections were compared with the final pathology reports of the surgical specimens. RESULTS: Lymph node involvement was found in 36 pelvic regions out of 284 in the final pathology. It had been possible to show only two of the 36 positive lymph nodes in preoperative CT. Frozen section results of the 29 pelvic lymph node regions out of 36 that were involved according to the final pathology were positive also according to frozen section results. On the other hand, in all the 29 lymph node regions those that were positive according to frozen section had lymph node involvement in the final pathology. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend the performance of frozen section examination on obturator plus internal iliac lymph nodes when deciding extended lymph node dissection, and the performance of extended lymph node dissection only if the result is positive.

Cystectomy↗

[Inflammatory pseudotumor of the lymph nodes. A case report].

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the lymph nodes is a little-known condition characterized mainly by cervical lymph node enlargement, hematological manifestations, and major constitutional symptoms in most patients. The diagnosis is histological, after surgical removal of an involved lymph node. Histologically, stromal proliferation and neovascularity are present, as well as lymphocytic infiltration. This disease is considered benign because of its tendency toward spontaneous resolution, even though symptoms are usually intense. A male patient presented cervical lymph node enlargement, constitutional syndrome, and hematological manifestations, including oscillating thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and increased ESR. The diagnosis was inflammatory pseudotumor of the lymph nodes, a rare disease. The evolution is torpid but the prognosis is good. This disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumors of the neck region.

Aged↗

[A novel method for sentinel lymph node mapping using magnetite].

The detection rate of sentinel lymph nodes using isosulfan blue dye is too low for clinical use. Although exposure to radioactivity is reportedly minimal, special procedures are nonetheless required when a radioactive isotope is used as a tracer. Therefore, to eliminate the need for a radioactive tracer and to obtain a better detection rate than is currently obtained with isosulfan blue dye, we have developed a novel method that employs magnetite as the tracer. The tracer employed is ferumoxides, a colloidal superparamagnetic iron oxide of non-stoichiometric magnetite. The magnetic force within the lymph nodes was measured using a highly sensitive hand-held magnetometer ex vivo. The rate of detection of sentinel lymph nodes was 82% in non-small cell lung cancer. Intraoperative sentinel lymph node mapping using ferumoxides and a highly sensitive magnetometer is a safe, accurate, and sensitive way to detect sentinel lymph nodes. To detect sentinel lymph nodes in vivo, the magnetometer should be sterilized and the sensitivity of the magnetometer should be higher than that we used. Therefore now we are developing a more sensitive and sterilizable magnetometer.

Contrast Media↗

Significance of axillary lymph node extranodal soft tissue extension and indications for postmastectomy irradiation.

BACKGROUND: Extranodal soft tissue extension of axillary lymph node metastases (ETE) has been considered an indication for postmastectomy radiotherapy, including the axilla. However, it is unclear whether patients with ETE are at an increased risk of axillary recurrence. METHODS: From a single institutional database of 2362 patients with breast carcinoma treated between 1974-1994, a total of 487 patients who underwent mastectomy for lymph node positive, infiltrating (T1-T3) breast carcinoma was found. All the patients had pathologically confirmed axillary lymph node metastases and negative surgical margins; none had received postoperative irradiation. Of these patients, 50 had histologically documented axillary ETE. Forty-three patients had a minimum follow-up of at least 1 year and comprise the study population. The median follow-up time of surviving ETE positive patients was 79 months. Twenty-five patients (58.1%) received adjuvant systemic therapy. Sites of first failure were local or distant. Local failure was categorized further as chest wall failure, axillary failure, supraclavicular lymph node failure, or internal mammary lymph node failure. RESULTS: For the 43 patients with ETE, the median patient age was 59.5 years (range, 38-81 years) and the median tumor size was 3.6 cm (range, 0.5-12.0 cm). The median number of positive axillary lymph nodes was 6 (range, 1-36 lymph nodes) versus 2 (range, 1-30 lymph nodes) for all T1-T3 ETE positive patients compared with ETE negative patients (P < 0. 001). The risk of ETE increased significantly with increasing numbers of axillary lymph node metastases (P < 0.001). Of the patients with ETE, 16 (37.2%) developed recurrent disease. ETE positive patients with disease recurrence had significantly greater numbers of positive axillary lymph nodes (median, 10 lymph nodes) than those patients who were recurrence free (median, 4 lymph nodes) (P = 0.02). The site of first failure was local in 7 patients (16. 3%) and distant in 9 patients (20.9%). All patients with local recurrence had chest wall failures; there were no isolated lymph node recurrences. The only simultaneous local and distant failure was in one patient presenting with supraclavicular and intraabdominal metastases. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of axillary recurrence, either as an isolated event or as part of simultaneous failure, is extremely low, even in patients with ETE. These data suggest that patients with ETE frequently have higher numbers of positive axillary lymph nodes and on that basis are at risk for local recurrence and as a rule would be considered for postmastectomy irradiation. However, these data suggest that the presence of ETE is not an indication for routine postmastectomy axillary lymph node irradiation.

Adult↗

Predictive value of lymph node metastases and extracapsular extension for the risk of distant metastases in laryngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this retrospective chart analysis was to determine the prognostic value of the lymph node status and extracapsular lymph node extension (ECE) of the neck for the development of distant metastases in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. METHODS: One hundred sixty-five patients treated for laryngeal carcinoma with a neck dissection with histologic evaluation were included. Primary study end point was distant metastasis-free survival. Univariate analysis with the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate distant metastasis-free survival and overall survival for the whole group and for groups according to ECE/lymph node status. Patients were classified as 1) no metastatic lymph nodes, 2) metastatic lymph nodes without ECE, or 3) metastatic lymph nodes with ECE. Univariate Cox regression was performed with outcome distant metastasis-free survival. RESULTS: The median overall survival for the whole group was 5.1 years and the 5-year survival rate was 51%. The median distant metastasis-free survival for the whole group could not be calculated and the 5-year metastasis-free survival rate was 78%. The hazard ratio was 3.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0-12.1) for patients with positive nodes and without ECE and 10.5 (95% CI = 3.6-30.8) for the patients with metastatic nodes and with ECE compared with the patients without metastatic lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: The presence of ECE in metastatic lymph nodes augments the risk of distant metastasis by nine times in laryngeal carcinoma. Metastatic lymph nodes without ECE show a risk three times greater.

Adult↗

Morphology of the lymph nodes in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Adriatic Sea.

Morphology of the lymph nodes was examined in six bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and three striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Adriatic Sea. All animals had been found dead in nature. One group of the nodes was taken from the tracheal branching area and was marked as bifurcational lymph node, and the other group was taken from the mesenteric root and was marked as mesenteric lymph node. Microscopic analysis showed that the lymph nodes in both dolphin species were surrounded by a connective tissue capsule comprising smooth muscle cells. The parenchyma of the mesenteric and bifurcational lymph nodes in bottlenose dolphin was divided into the peripherally situated cortex with the lymphatic nodules and diffuse lymphatic tissue, and the centrally situated medulla structured of the medullary cords separated by the medullary sinuses. These lymph nodes structurally correspond to the lymph nodes in the majority of terrestrial mammals. The mesenteric lymph node of striped dolphin also had a peripherally situated cortex and a centrally positioned medulla as the majority of terrestrial mammals. In the bifurcational lymph nodes of striped dolphin, there was a central dense lymphatic tissue with the lymphatic nodules and a peripheral less dense lymphatic tissue structured of the cell cords and sinuses. The bifurcational lymph node in striped dolphin resembled porcine lymph nodes and belonged to the inverse lymph nodes.

Animals↗

Repeat operative sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Because sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy continues to be used for staging in patients with breast cancer, physicians treating these patients will be faced with in-breast recurrences and new primary breast cancers in the treated breast. Repeat operative SLN biopsy might be feasible in this clinical scenario. This report describes the case of a patient with an ipsilateral different-site, recurrent, infiltrating ductal carcinoma 14 months after lumpectomy; negative SLN biopsy result; and radiation therapy, now with a positive SLN biopsy result.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Indications of limited surgery for gastric cancer with submucosal invasion--analysis of 715 cases with special reference to site of the tumor and level 2 lymph nodes.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is controversy as to whether limited or extended lymph node dissection should be performed for gastric cancer with submucosal invasion. METHODOLOGY: To clarify the indications of limited surgery for gastric cancer invading the submucosa, we retrospectively examined the incidence of lymph node metastases with regard to the location of the tumor and distant lymph node station in 715 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer with submucosal invasion. We classified the level 2 lymph nodes into four groups as follows: group 1 was defined as perigastric lymph nodes far from the primary tumors, group 2 as nodes around the left gastric and the common hepatic arteries, group 3 as nodes around the celiac axis, and group 4 as nodes along the splenic artery. RESULTS: The occurrence of the metastases to level 1 nodes was 14.5% (104 of 715) and that to level 2 nodes was 4.5% (32 of 715). Among the latter, metastases to group 1 lymph nodes were detected in 6 only in the lower third (2.1%) and that to group 2 in 5 in the upper third (6.2%), 9 in the middle third (2.6%), and 12 in the lower third of the stomach (4.1%). Metastases to groups 3 and 4 were only recognized in 2 in the middle third of the stomach (0.3%). Tumors less than 8 mm did not metastasize to lymph nodes and those less than 12 mm did not metastasize to distant ones. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that in gastric cancer invading the submucosa, it would be sufficient to dissect group 2 lymph nodes for tumors located at the upper third or the middle third of the stomach, and for tumors located in the lower third of the stomach nodes of groups 1 and 2 should be dissected. For tumors less than 8 mm in the diameter partial resection alone could do and for those less than 12 mm D1 dissection is recommended.

Adult↗

[Usefulness of imaging posture using modified oblique view of the axilla (MOVA) for sentinel lymph node scintigraphy in patients with breast cancer].

Identification of the sentinel lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer is often hampered by high radioactivity from the injection site, since the distance between the injection site and regional lymph nodes is quite short in these patients. We investigated the usefulness of the modified oblique view of the axilla (MOVA) method introduced by Haigh et al., aiming at better discrimination of the target and higher resolution. Compared with the standard anterior view (SAV) of the supine position and conventional oblique view (COV) imaging, MOVA was able to obtain a longer distance between the injection site and axillary lymph nodes in 20 of 21 lymph nodes. MOVA provided more effective information for visual evaluation of the geometry of axillary lymph nodes in half the cases, and one lymph node was detected only with MOVA. In contrast, SAV provided better imaging in one patient. Although our results support the usefulness of MOVA, the combined application of MOVA and SAV is desirable, since sentinel lymph node detection with the gamma-probe is performed in the supine position during surgery.

Axilla↗

[Lymph flow and the development of the lymph nodes in human fetuses].

Since its anlage lymph node forms as a functional anastomosis between lymph and blood vessels. They make a complex with intimate anatomotopographic interrelations and their branches--an interconnected system, within which intervascular connective tissue transforms into lymphoid one. Interstitial canals networks may play a role of connecting "bridges" during lymphatic sinuses and blood microvessels unification with lymphoid tissue into a specific functional complex of counterflow system (arteries/veins--lymphatic vessels). On this basis histo- and morphogenesis of lymph node as a part of lymphatic bed occur. Lymph node uneven growth due to their depositing and resorptive function development allows to explain peculiarities of central lymph flow in human embryos.

Abdomen↗

Hepatic lymph node involvement in resected cases of liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Lymph node metastasis in the hepatoduodenal ligament is known as one of the most significant prognostic factors after liver resection for colorectal metastasis. However, there have been very few articles on the clinical features of node-positive patients and on detailed distribution of positive nodes. Further, there has been no established strategy on how to handle hepatic lymph nodes during liver resection. To address these subjects, a retrospective study was conducted. METHODS: During the period of 1980 through April 1998, 182 hepatic resections were performed for metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Of these, 78 cases had hepatic lymph node sampling during the operation. Distribution of positive nodes, location of liver metastasis, stage of the primary lesion, and outcome after liver resection were analyzed. RESULTS: Nine cases (12 percent) had secondary lymph node metastases in the hepatoduodenal ligament. The incidence was slightly higher (13.5 percent) in the most recent 44 consecutive cases. There was a tendency for liver metastases in the right lobe to metastasize to No. 12b (or node of the foramen of Winslow, lymph nodes along the common bile duct) and liver metastases in the left lobe to metastasize to No. 8a (anterosuperior group of the lymph nodes along the common hepatic artery). Outcome of node-positive patients (n = 9) was extremely poor (P < 0.001) compared with that of node-negative patients (n = 66), and the most common site of recurrence in the node-positive patients was remnant liver and hepatic lymph nodes. Preoperatively, there were no significant predicting factors for positive hepatic lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: No. 8a and No. 12b nodes are principal nodes that should be palpated and sampled during liver resection to check the secondary lymphatic spread from liver metastases. Hepatic nodal involvement indicates the progression of disease beyond simple liver metastases and may not be the indication for simple surgical removal. Further study, including hepatoduodenal dissection and systemic adjuvant chemotherapy, may elucidate the survival benefit, if any, of liver resection in node-positive patients.

Case-Control Studies↗

Clinical usefulness of telomerase assay for the detection of lymph node metastasis in patients with oral malignancy.

OBJECTIVE: Telomerase is considered a diagnostic marker of malignancy. We investigated the usefulness of telomerase assay for the detection of lymph node micrometastasis. METHODS: Sixteen cervical lymph nodes with metastasis of oral cancer and 20 benign lymph nodes were studied. The oral cancer cell line was used to estimate the sensitivity for telomerase assay. Telomerase activity was measured by semiquantitative telomeric repeat amplification protocol. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between malignant and benign lymph nodes. The telomerase activity of 50 mg of lymph nodes with 103 or more cancer cells differed from that of control lymph nodes. Lymph nodes with 102 or fewer tumor cells expressed similar levels as benign lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to routine histologic examination, telomerase assay is considered a useful tool for the detection of lymph node metastasis in patients with oral malignancy.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in the management of cutaneous head and neck melanoma.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy has revolutionized the surgical management of primary malignant melanoma. Most series on sentinel lymph node mapping have concentrated on extremity and truncal melanomas. The head and neck region has a rich and unpredictable lymphatic system. The use of sentinel lymph node mapping in the management of head and neck melanoma is evaluated. The authors conducted a retrospective review of patients treated for clinical stage I and stage II malignant melanoma of the head and neck with dynamic lymphoscintigraphy and gamma probe-guided sentinel lymph node biopsy. One hundred thirty-two patients (99 male patients and 33 female patients) were identified. The primary melanoma sites were the scalp (n = 54), ear (n = 14), face (n = 37), and neck (n = 27). Primary tumor staging was as follows: T1, 11; T2, 38; T3, 39; and T4, 44. Dynamic lymphoscintigraphy visualized sentinel lymph nodes in 128 patients (97 percent). In 71 cases (55 percent), a single draining nodal basin was identified, and in 57 cases there were multiple draining nodal basins (two basins, 55; three basins, two). Sentinel lymph nodes were successfully identified in 176 of 186 nodal basins (95 percent). Positive sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 22 patients (17.6 percent). Sentinel lymph node positivity by tumor staging was as follows: T2, 10.8 percent; T3, 19.4 percent; and T4, 26.8 percent. Completion lymphadenectomy revealed residual disease in seven patients (33.3 percent). Sentinel lymph node mapping for head and neck melanoma can be performed with results comparable to those of other anatomical sites.

Adolescent↗

Clinical implications of lymph node micrometastasis in patients with histologically node-negative (pN0) esophageal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Lymph node micrometastasis is frequently detected in resected specimens of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The goal of this study was to evaluate the clinical implication of micrometastasis in patients with lymph node-negative (pN0) disease. METHODS: We examined the presence of micrometastasis in 2,511 lymph nodes from 53 patients with pN0 disease who underwent curative esophagectomy. All lymph nodes and the primary tumors were immunostained using an anticytokeratin antibody cocktail (AE1/AE3). RESULTS: Micrometastasis was detected in 18 lymph nodes (0.72%) from 14 patients (26.4%). Detection of micrometastasis was not associated with the depth of invasion or the differentiation or lymphatic invasion. Lymph nodes containing micrometastases were widely distributed, but the most frequently involved nodes were located along the lesser curvature of the stomach. Four patients with micrometastasis (29%) and the only two patients without micrometastasis (5%) had recurrence as lymph node metastases (P = 0.036). There were no significant differences in recurrence-free survival and disease-specific survival between patients with micrometastasis and patients without micrometastasis. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that micrometastasis might increase the risk of lymph node recurrence, but does not influence the survival of patients with pN0 ESCC.

Adult↗