Utility of indocyanine green injection in avoiding unnecessary axillary lymph node dissection in breast cancer patients

N. Bacalbaşa, I. Bălescu, R. Bohîlţea, S. Petrea, S. Aldoescu, M. Vîlcu, I. Brezean, L. Pop, A. Ciulcu, D Romanescu, C. Stoica, C. Martac, A. Filipescu, C.L. Tomescu, A. Ad Aloul

Rezumat: Breast cancer represents the most frequently encountered malignancy affecting women worldwide, with an increasing incidence especially when it comes to early-stage lesions, due to the wide implementation of the national screening programs. In this direction, attention was focused on developing the concept of conservative surgery in regard to both breast and axilla. Once innovative techniques have been implemented, the rates of patients submitted to unnecessary surgical procedures, such as axillary lymph node dissection for early-stage breast cancer, decreased, while the number of cases submitted to conservative procedures, such a sentinel node dissection, increased. Meanwhile, the wide use of the dual method of sentinel node detection led to a significant increase of the sensibility and specificity of the method. The aim of the current paper is to investigate the role of indocyanine green in avoiding unnecessary axillary lymph node dissection in early breast cancer patients.
Cuvinte cheie: early-stage breast cancer, sentinel lymph node, indocyanine green, axillary lymph node dissection.