Eighty patients, with newly diagnosed unifocal breast cancer and with no ax
iliary metastases verified by ultrasonography, underwent sentinel lymph nod
e (SLN) and subsequent axillary lymph node dissection. To identify the SLN,
we used a combination of Tc-99m labelled colloid (Albures) and blue dye (P
atent Blue V) injected peritumorally. Lymphoscintigraphy was not performed.
The SLN was successfully identified in 78 out of 80 patients (97.5%); 43 p
atients (54%) were found to have metastatic disease. In 33 patients (77%) t
he SLN was the only node involved. No false-negative nodes were found, defi
ned as SLNs that rested negative but with higher nodes that tested positive
. If SLN biopsy is accepted as a routine procedure and when the exact indic
ations are defined, the method described probably could be offered to the m
ajority of breast cancer patients.