Parameter | Result |
---|---|
Mean injected dose (MBq) | 219 (median, 219; range, 147–286) |
Total number of sentinel nodes visualized with planar imaging | 102 (and 8 uncertain sentinel nodes, probably second-echelon) |
Sentinel nodes detected on early images: 37% | |
Additional sentinel nodes visible on late images: 63% | |
Total number of sentinel nodes visualized with SPECT/CT | 196 (and 1 uncertain sentinel node, probably second-echelon) |
Number of patients with additional sentinel nodes localized by SPECT/CT | 29 (63%) |
Importance of SPECT/CT | No advantage: 6 (13%) |
Presumable advantage: 11 (24%) | |
Definite advantage: 29 (63%) | |
Patients with uncommonly located sentinel nodes (outside pelvic area) | 16 (35% of all patients): |
Visible on planar imaging: 7 (44%) | |
Detected by SPECT/CT only: 9 (56%) | |
Node-positive patients | 15 (33%) |
Metastasis in only sentinel nodes seen on planar images: 8 (53%) | |
Metastasis in sentinel nodes exclusively detected by SPECT/CT: 7 (47%) | |
Only positive sentinel nodes: 4 (27%)* |
↵* In 4 of 7 patients with sentinel node metastasis in sentinel nodes that were exclusively seen on SPECT/CT, this sentinel node was the only positive sentinel node. Those patients (27% of all node-positive patients) were upstaged, and adjuvant therapy was given.