Abstract

RODRIGUEZ, ARGIMIRO et al. Ganglio Centinela En Cáncer Epidermoide De Cavidad Nasal Y Oral: Inicio De Protocolo En El Hospital Oncológico Padre Machado. Reporte Preliminar.. Rev. venez. oncol. [online]. 2005, vol.17, n.2, pp.89-93. ISSN 0798-0582.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of sentinel lymph node identification in node negative patients with oral and nasal carcinoma. METHODS: We included all the patients with oral and nasal cavity epidermoid carcinoma, staged preoperatively as T1 - T2, N0. We excluded patients with previous surgery or radiotherapy to the head and neck area, or with previous complete excision of the tumor. On the afternoon before surgery, technetium99 (5-7 MBq diluted in 0.4 mL of saline) was injected peritumorally. After 10 minutes, dynamic lymphoscintigraphy was performed and focal areas of accumulation (hot spots) corresponding to sentinel nodes were marked on the skin surface. The next day preoperatively patent blue dye was injected peritumorally. The lymph node mapping was performed by intraoperative use of a gamma-probe. A neck dissection incision was made, and the sentinel nodes were identified and individually dissected and removed. Subsequently a neck dissection and extirpation of the primary tumor was performed. RESULTS: We have performed three procedures in patients with oral and nasal cavity epidermoid carcinoma from March to June 2002. In all cases we identified the sentinel lymph node using the gamma probe. In one patient the lymph node did not take the blue dye. No lymph node metastases were found in any case. CONCLUSIONS: Sentinel lymph node appears as a feasible therapeutic alternative to N0 patients, saving the need of radical neck dissection. Further studies are needed to validate this procedure.

Keywords : Sentinel lymph node; oral cavity; nasal cavity; diagnosis; cancer.