Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “NODES”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Sentinel node dissection as definitive treatment for node negative breast cancer patients.

AIMS: Negative sentinel node may predict tumour-free axillary nodes in breast cancer. We report the performance of sentinel node dissection at our Institution. METHODS: We analysed data from 212 consecutive women with primary invasive breast tumours less than 3 cm in diameter and no axillary lymphadenopathy who underwent radioguided sentinel node dissection by means of 99mTc-colloidal albumin between 1999 and 2002. Completion axillary node dissection was performed if sentinel nodes contained metastases or if no sentinel nodes were identified. RESULTS: Sentinel nodes were identified in 207/212 of the patients. Fifty-seven patients had tumour-positive sentinel nodes. Only tumour diameter showed significant association with sentinel node status (p<0.000). Per-operative histologic evaluation had a sensitivity of 67.3% and a negative predictive value of 90.4%. No subset of sentinel node positive patients was identified for whom axillary node dissection could be safely avoided. No recurrences were detected at a median follow-up of 15 months. CONCLUSION: Radioguided sentinel node dissection offers a reliable way to assess nodal status in most breast cancer patients. In our experience, both preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative histologic evaluation add useful information to the procedure.

Adult↗

The impact of the number of excised axillary nodes and of the percentage of involved nodes on regional nodal failure in patients treated by breast-conserving surgery with or without regional irradiation.

PURPOSE: After breast-conserving surgery, recommendations for regional nodal radiotherapy are usually based on the number of positive nodes. This number is dependent on the number of nodes removed during the axillary dissection. This study examines whether the percentage of positive nodes may help to select patients for regional radiotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective study was conducted on 1,372 T1-T2 node-positive breast cancer patients treated at L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec Hospital between 1972 and 1997. RESULTS: Among the patients who did not receive regional radiotherapy, the percentage of involved nodes was significantly associated with axillary failure. Ten-year axillary control rates were 97% and 91% when the percentage of involved nodes was <50% and > or =50%, respectively (p = 0.007). In addition, regional radiotherapy is always significantly associated with a decrease in overall regional failure (axillary and/or supraclavicular), regardless of the percentage of involved nodes. However, regional radiotherapy reduced the axillary failure rate (2% vs. 9%, p = 0.007) only when more than a specific percentage of nodes was involved (> or =40% if N1-3 and > or =50% if N>3 nodes). CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of involved nodes should be taken into consideration in selecting patients for regional radiotherapy. Irradiation of the axilla should be reserved for patients with a specific ratio: >40% involved nodes if N1-3 and > or =50% involved nodes if N>3 nodes.

Adult↗

Lymph node revealing solution: a new method for detection of minute axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer specimens.

The staging and prognosis of patients with breast cancer is related to the presence or absence of axillary lymph node involvement. However, in some cases no lymph nodes or too small a number of lymph nodes are revealed by the traditional method of palpating and sectioning the axillary fat. In the present study we demonstrate the usefulness of the lymph node revealing solution (LNRS) in breast cancer. Specimens from 13 patients, in whom <10 lymph nodes were identified in the axilla by the traditional method, were included in the study. After excising the lymph nodes by the traditional method, axillary tissue was immersed in LNRS for 6-12 hours. Additional lymph nodes, which stood out as white chalky nodules, were excised and processed as usual. The LNRS increased the mean number of nodes per case from 6.0+/-2.5 found by the traditional method to 12.54+/-4.61 nodes per case (p < 0.01). The size of the nodes identified by the LNRS was significantly smaller (p < 0.01) than those detected by the traditional method. The LNRS changed the lymph node stage of the disease in four of the studied cases (30%). LNRS seems to be the technique of choice for detection of axillary lymph nodes in cases where the number of detected lymph nodes by the traditional method is too small for accurate staging.

Axilla↗

Benign lymph node hyperplasia and lymph node metastases in rabbits. Animal models for magnetic resonance lymphography.

OBJECTIVES: Experimental models of reactive lymph-node hyperplasia and lymph-node metastasis were developed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Reactive lymph-node hyperplasia was induced in 20 rabbits by injection of an egg-yolk emulsion intramuscularly in the hind limbs and subcutaneously in the flanks. In another 20 rabbits, lymph-node metastasis was induced by implantation of a squamous cell carcinoma (VX2 tumor) in one hind limb. Five rabbits remained untreated. Signal intensity and size of iliac medical and popliteal lymph nodes were investigated with T1-, T2-, and proton-density-weighted spin-echo sequences at 1.5 T. In addition, lymph-node activity and metastatic involvement were assessed histologically. RESULTS: Lymph nodes in untreated animals were small and difficult to visualize by MRI. After egg-yolk-induced reactive lymph-node hyperplasia, the enlarged nodes were well demonstrated by MRI. Implantation of VX2 tumors led to different degrees of lymph-node metastasis (micrometastasis, partial and complete metastatic permeation), depending on growth period and size of the primary tumor. In MR images, lymph nodes of untreated, stimulated, and tumor-bearing rabbits were not differentiable by signal intensity. CONCLUSION: Reactive lymph-node hyperplasia induced by interstitial egg-yolk injection and lymph-node metastasis secondary to implantation of VX2 tumors cannot be differentiated by standard MRI. Therefore, these models may serve for testing the efficacy of lymphographic techniques in MRI.

Animals↗

Prognostic significance of the number of axillary lymph nodes removed in patients with node-negative breast cancer.

PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between the number of lymph nodes removed at axillary dissection and recurrence and survival for patients with node-negative invasive breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Subjects were 2,278 women with pathologically node-negative invasive breast cancer, diagnosed from 1989 to 1993 in British Columbia, Canada. Women aged > or = 90 years, with pure in-situ, bilateral invasive breast cancer or T4, N1, N2, or M1 stage, or who had axillary radiation were excluded. Two groups were defined for analysis: node-negative with no systemic therapy (n = 1,468) and node-negative with systemic therapy (n = 810). Median follow-up was 7.5 years. Prognostic variables assessed were age at diagnosis, tumor size, tumor grade, invasion of lymphatics, veins, or nerves, estrogen receptor status, and number of nodes removed. RESULTS: For patients not receiving systemic therapy, regional relapse was significantly increased with smaller numbers of nodes removed (P =.03). There was a trend toward shorter overall survival with fewer nodes removed (P =.06). Node-negative patients who received systemic therapy did not have a higher regional relapse rate or shorter overall survival when fewer nodes were recovered. CONCLUSION: Recovery of a small number of negative lymph nodes at axillary dissection likely understages patients and leads to undertreatment, resulting in an increased regional relapse rate and poorer survival. The use of systemic therapy may overcome this effect. The number of nodes removed, in conjunction with other prognostic factors, may be useful in selecting node-negative patients for systemic therapy.

Adolescent↗

Lymph-node staining with activated carbon CH40: a new method for axillary lymph-node dissection in breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the usefulness of activated carbon particles (CH40) as a vital staining dye for visualizing lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes in breast cancer. DESIGN: A retrospective evaluation. SETTING: Department of Surgery in Sendai National Hospital, Japan, a 716-bed teaching hospital. METHODS: To identify as many lymph nodes as possible in the axillary fat, by which we might decrease the possibility of the presence of undetected metastatic nodes, an emulsion of activated carbon particles (CH40) was injected into the centre of the mammary gland, close to the tumour site, 3 days before radical surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The number of lymph nodes found by the traditional method and by the CH40-injection method were recorded. RESULTS: After injection, the CH40 was readily adsorbed into regional lymphatics and streamed along with the lymph flow to blacken regional lymph nodes. The CH40-guided method increased the mean number of nodes per case found in the axilla from 8.4, by the traditional method, to 14.0 nodes per case. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the CH40 technique has two technical advantages; one is that it allows surgeons to locate the blackened lymph nodes at the time of surgery and the other is that it allows pathologists to look for the nodes in fatty tissue. Lymph-node dissection with the aid of activated carbon particles is inexpensive, easy to perform and enables the smallest lymph nodes to be easily recognized. CH40 is the technique of choice for the detection of axillary lymph nodes in cases where the number of lymph nodes detected by the traditional method is too small for accurate surgery. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that CH40 could be an appropriate tool for more accurate staging of breast cancer axillary specimens.

Adult↗

Prognostic significance of the number of lymph nodes examined in patients with lymph node-negative breast carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: A recent report suggested that the number of lymph nodes examined was a strong predictor of survival in patients with lymph node-negative breast carcinoma. Among women who had >or= 20 lymph nodes examined, the risk of dying from breast carcinoma within 5 years was increased nearly 4-fold compared with women who had fewer lymph nodes examined. Because these findings were based on a relatively small cohort of patients, corroborative studies with larger patient populations were needed. METHODS: The authors studied the relation between the number of lymph nodes examined and breast carcinoma survival among 911 women with lymph node-negative breast carcinoma with a median length of follow-up of 84 months. The association between other prognostic indicators and survival and the number of lymph nodes examined also was investigated. RESULTS: The number of lymph nodes examined was not found to be associated with either 5-year or long-term survival. The proportion of women dying from breast carcinoma was the same (8%) in both groups (those patients with >or= 20 lymph nodes examined vs. those in whom < 20 lymph nodes were examined) and the hazard ratio was 0.98 (95% confidence interval, 0.58-1.64). CONCLUSIONS: In this larger study population, the authors failed to confirm the findings of an earlier investigation in which having a larger number of lymph nodes examined was associated with poorer survival. This finding suggests that it is unlikely the number of lymph nodes examined is an important prognostic indicator in patients with lymph node-negative breast carcinoma.

Adult↗

Impact of separate versus en bloc pelvic lymph node dissection on the number of lymph nodes retrieved in cystectomy specimens.

PURPOSE: Pelvic lymphadenectomy during radical cystectomy yields a various number of lymph nodes depending on the extent of lymph node dissection and pathologist aggressiveness when searching the specimen. How the surgeon submits lymph nodes for pathological evaluation may also affect how many are retrieved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection and radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder was performed in 32 patients. The extent of lymph node dissection involved standard and extended lymphadenectomy in 20 and 12 cases, respectively. In patients who underwent standard dissection unilateral en bloc submission of the lymph nodes was done with the contralateral lymph node dissection sent as an individual discrete packet. In those who underwent extended dissection all lymph nodes from each side were submitted en bloc or as 6 packets. RESULTS: Standard lymphadenectomy en bloc specimens yielded a mean of 2.4 lymph nodes compared with 8.5 retrieved from individual lymph node specimens (p = 0.003). Extended lymphadenectomy en bloc specimens yielded a mean of 22.6 lymph nodes compared with 36.5 retrieved from the individually submitted packets (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Submitting pelvic lymph nodes as separate specimens optimizes pathological evaluation of the number of lymph nodes that may be involved with metastatic cancer. Such information is important for identifying patients who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Cystectomy↗

The hottest sentinel lymph node is not always the positive node.

The technique of identifying the sentinel lymph node (SLN) varies from each individual institution. Generally, the highest isotope count in a lymph node is considered the SLN, whereas other radioactive nodes might also be removed. The purpose of our study was to determine if the hottest node was always the tumor-containing node. Two hundred forty-seven breast cancer patients underwent SLN biopsy from April 1998 to April 2002. Lymphatic mapping involved a radiocolloid injection and lymphoscintigraphy followed by intraoperative assessment with a hand-held gamma probe. All SLN(s) with radioactive counts 10 per cent or more of the ex vivo counts of the most radioactive SLN were removed. The SLN were sliced at 2-mm intervals with 4-microm step-sections (92-microm spacing) and evaluated by microscopy and immunohistochemistry. One hundred twenty (49%) of the 247 patients had 2 or more nodes resected. Of these 120 patients, 33 (28%) had a tumor-bearing node. In 25 (74%) cases, the tumor-bearing node was the most radioactive; however, in 8 (26%) cases, the positive node was a lesser reactive node. Although the most radioactive node in a draining basin is considered the SLN, this is often not the metastatic node. Therefore, all nodes with significant radioactive counts must be removed to ensure accurate staging.

Breast Neoplasms↗

[Lymph nodes mapping for detection of sentinel nodes in patients with papillary thyroid cancer].

We examined the feasibility of sentinel lymph node biopsy for papillary thyroid cancer. In the dye injection method, 1% of isosulfan blue dye was injected around the tumor of 32 patients intra-operatively, and in the radioisotope (RI) colloid injection method, 99mTc-tin colloid was injected in 23 patients 1 day preoperatively. Lymph node mapping for detection of sentinel nodes was performed after thyroidectomy and central and modified lateral neck lymph node dissections. All dissected nodes were examined postoperatively by hematoxylineosin staining to determine whether or not metastasis was present. In the dye injection method, sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 30 (94%) of the 32 patients. Lymph node metastases were found in 14 patients, and some sentinel lymph nodes had papillary cancer metastasis in 13 patients. There was only 1 false-negative case. Sensitivity and accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy was 93% (13/14) and 97% (29/30). With the RI method, detection rate, sensitivity and accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy was 96% (22/23), 90% (9/10) and 95% (21/22), respectively. Our preliminary study indicated that sentinel lymph node biopsy was feasible in patients with thyroid cancer. It may be helpful in avoiding unnecessary lymph node dissection and improving quality of life in patients with thyroid cancer.

Carcinoma, Papillary↗

Perifacial lymph node metastasis in the submandibular triangle of patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma with clinically node-positive neck.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this retrospective chart review were to investigate the rate of metastasis to the perifacial lymph node, which was defined as the nodal pads that lie anterior or posterior to the anterior facial vein on top of the facial artery in the submandibular triangle, and to identify its risk factors in patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOSCC) with clinically node-positive neck. METHODS: Beginning in July 1999, we routinely removed the perifacial lymph node pads of the submandibular triangle (level Ib) from the main therapeutic comprehensive neck dissection (level I-V) specimen for evaluation of metastatic rate to this nodal group in patients with OOSCC with clinically node-positive neck. This study is a retrospective analysis of patients undergoing perifacial node sampling from July 1999 to March 2006. A total of 66 patients (17 patients with oral cavity cancer and 49 with oropharyngeal cancer) underwent perifacial lymph node dissections. Of these, three (two with oral cavity tumors and one with an oropharynx tumor) had clinically positive node in level I. RESULTS: The incidence rate of metastasis to the perifacial lymph node was 35% in oral cavity carcinoma (six of 17) and 8% in oropharynx carcinoma (four of 49). In addition, in patients without clinically positive level I node, the occult metastasis rate of the perifacial node was 27% in oral cavity carcinoma (four of 15) and 6% in oropharynx carcinoma (three of 48). Clinical or pathologic nodal staging above the N2b advanced lesion had a statistically significant association with perifacial lymph node metastasis (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that these nodal pads should be removed thoroughly for the treatment of node-positive neck in patients with oral cavity carcinoma. In contrast, however, complete removal may be unnecessary in comprehensive neck dissection of patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma with clinically node-positive neck, especially below nodal stage N2a.

Adult↗

The node-negative neck: accuracy of clinical intraoperative lymph node assessment for metastatic disease in head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Often, the type of neck dissection performed in patients with head and neck malignancy is finally determined by intraoperative assessment of clinically suspect lymph nodes by frozen section. This prospective study aimed to assess the accuracy of clinical intraoperative lymph node assessment and therefore to examine validity of the underlying assumption that the surgeon can consistently identify nodes that contain metastatic tumor. We also aimed to assess whether gross morphological characteristics of the lymph nodes examined could be correlated with nodal status and therefore used to predict those nodes containing metastatic disease. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study assessing the accuracy of clinical intraoperative lymph node assessment in the node-negative neck. METHODS: Forty-six neck dissections from 34 patients with head and neck cancer were prospectively examined intraoperatively by a single surgeon. All obvious nodes were clinically assessed, morphologically described, and subsequently correlated with pathological findings. RESULTS: Sixty palpable nodes were identified in 32 neck dissections. They were clinically categorized as malignant or suspect (22) or benign (38). Pathological examination revealed a false-positive rate of 30% and a false-negative rate of 44%. The sensitivity of intraoperative lymph node assessment was 56%, and the specificity was 70%. Apart from "infiltration," morphological characteristics could not be correlated with nodal status. In the 14 neck dissections with no obviously palpable lymph nodes, 4 (29%) were positive for metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: In the node-negative neck, intraoperative assessment does not seem to improve the accuracy of staging. The only parameter of benefit and correlating with metastatic disease is clinical evidence of infiltration. The assumption that frozen section is a good determinate for selection of type of neck dissection is questionable. If selective neck dissection is not found to be therapeutic, its use leads to over-reliance on other therapeutic treatment such as postoperative radiotherapy, depriving the patient of a potential useful treatment modality in cases of locoregional recurrence.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Intraoperative palpation for clinically suspicious axillary sentinel lymph nodes reduces the false-negative rate of sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer.

Axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is widely used to identify the first lymph node draining breast tumors. When the sentinel lymph node is free of metastasis, axillary dissection is avoided because the rest of the nodes are expected to be negative as well. A false-negative rate of 5% is considered acceptable. In the case of a false-negative SLNB, adjuvant local and systemic treatments might be suboptimal. We assessed the effect of intraoperative axillary palpation for clinically suspicious lymph nodes that are not otherwise detected by radioactive tracer or blue dye on the false-negative rate of SLNB in breast cancer patients. Our prospective database of patients having surgery for primary invasive breast cancer and who had a SLNB from 2000 to 2004 was reviewed. Only patients with clinically negative nodes preoperatively were included. The procedure included preoperative injection of radiotracer, with dye injection as backup, and intraoperative palpation of the axilla for suspicious lymph nodes that were not radioactive or blue. Of the 290 patients, 89 (30.7%) had sentinel node involvement by tumor. Seven patients had clinically suspicious nodes identified solely by palpation and not by tracer, in addition to sentinel lymph nodes detected by tracer. In five of the seven patients, the nodes harbored metastasis. In four of these five patients (4.5% of the 89 patients with axillary involvement), the palpable nodes were the only ones involved. A generous axillary incision and systematic palpation of the axilla reduces the false-negative rate and should be a part of the SLNB procedure.

Breast Neoplasms↗

[Disciplinarian of lymph node metastasis and effect of paraaortic lymph nodes dissection on clinical outcomes in advanced gastric carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the disciplinarian of lymph node metastasis and evaluate the effect of paraaortic lymph nodes dissection on the clinical outcomes in advanced gastric carcinoma. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-six patients who underwent D(3) (including D(3)(+)) radical resection (group D(3)) and 146 patients who underwent D(2) radical resection by the same surgical team (group D(2)) for advanced gastric cancer were enrolled in the present study. The dissected lymph nodes were grouped according to the definition of Japanese Research Society for the Study of Gastric Cancer (JRSGC) (Edition 13th). The lymph node metastasis was analyzed in group D(3). The clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no differences in age, sex, tumor location, Borrman type, histological type and TNM stage between group D(2) and group D(3) (P > 0.05). The No16 lymph node metastatic rate was 3.8%, 22.3%, 46.8% and 32.1% in T(1), T(2), T(3), T(4) stage tumors respectively, 16.3% and 69.5% in the patients with negative and positive serosal invasion respectively; there were no differences in operative mortality (2/126 vs 2/146) and surgical complications (4/126 vs 6/146) between group D(2) and group D(3) (P > 0.05). The 5-year survival rate was 66.5% in group D(3) and 40.2% in group D(2) (P< 0.01). The 5-year survival rates of the patients with I, II, IIIa, IIIb and IV stage tumors who were No16 lymph nodes negative were 94.8%, 95.6%, 72.1%, 58.6%, 59% respectively in group D(3), and 42%, 36%, 27%, 35.6%, 16.3% respectively in group D(2). The 5-year survival rate of the patients with No16 (+) lymph nodes less than 3 was higher than that of the patients with No16(+) lymph nodes more than 3. CONCLUSIONS: No16a2 and No16b1 are the common locations of lymph node metastasis in advanced gastric cancer. The paraaortic lymph node metastasis closely is related with the depth of tumor invasion and serosal invasion. Paraaortic lymph nodes dissection (D(3) or D(3)(+) radical resection) improves the 5-year survival rate of the patients with No16 (-) and No16 (+) lymph nodes less than 3.

Female↗

Occult lymph node metastases detected by cytokeratin immunohistochemistry predict recurrence in node-negative endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Even after curative resection of early endometrial cancer, some patients die as a result of recurrence. We believe that these patients likely had occult lymph node metastases at the time of diagnosis. In an attempt to identify the responsible occult metastases, the clinicopathological significance of cytokeratin expression in lymph nodes with unconfirmed metastasis was evaluated retrospectively in patients with endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: We examined 304 pelvic lymph nodes and 46 primary tumors excised from 46 patients with endometrial cancer, including 36 with Stage I disease and 10 with Stage IIIc disease. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections were stained immunohistochemically using antibodies against cytokeratin, CA125, and macrophage-related antigen. Sections were also stained with hematoxylin and eosin. RESULTS: In 10 patients with Stage IIIc disease, cytokeratin expression was detected in cells other than the tumor cells in all 13 lymph nodes with metastasis and also in 20 (30.3%) of 66 lymph nodes without metastasis. Cytokeratin expression was observed in 37 (16.4%) of 225 lymph nodes with unconfirmed metastasis, which were obtained from 14 of 36 patients with Stage I disease. Five of fourteen patients with lymph nodes expressing cytokeratin had recurrent disease in the pelvic cavity, while all 22 patients with unconfirmed cytokeratin expression in their lymph nodes showed no recurrence. Cytokeratin and CA125 were detected simultaneously on macrophages in lymph nodes. Cytokeratin expression in lymph nodes was closely related to lymph-vascular space involvement of the primary tumor, but was not related to either histological grade or depth of myometrial invasion. Multivariate analysis identified cytokeratin expression as an independent risk factor for recurrence in Stage I endometrial cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The immunohistochemical expression of cytokeratin in lymph nodes with undetected metastases predicts occult metastasis to these nodes and is a risk factor for recurrence in early-stage endometrial cancer.

CA-125 Antigen↗