OBJECTIVES: To estimate the diagnostic accuracy of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in penile cancer patients and assess SNB complications in a national multicentre setting.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospectively data were collected from records in four university centres by one medical doctor covering all SNBs performed in Denmark 2000-2010. Patients had either nonpalpable nodes in one or both groins or had a palpable inguinal mass from which aspiration cytology failed to reveal malignancy. Patients were injected with nanocolloid technetium and had a scintigram recorded before the SNB. Primary end point was nodal recurrence on follow-up. Secondary endpoint was complications after SNB. Diagnostic accuracy was computed.
RESULTS: 409 groins in 222 patients were examined by SNB. Median follow-up of patients who survived was 6.6 (IQR: 5-10) years. Of 343 negative groins eight disclosed false negative. Sensitivity was 89.2% (95% CI, 79.8-95.2%) per groin. Interestingly four of 67 T1G1 patients had a positive SNB. Twenty-eight of 222 (13%) patients had complications of Clavien-Dindo grade I-IIIa.
CONCLUSION: Penile cancer sentinel node biopsy with a close follow-up stages lymph node involvement reliably and has few complications in a national multicentre setting. Inguinal lymph node dissection was avoided in 76% of patients.
Written by:
Jakobsen JK, Krarup KP, Sommer P, Nerstrøm H, Bakholdt V, Sørensen JA, Olsen KØ, Kromann-Andersen B, Toft BG, Høyer S, Bouchelouche K, Jensen JB. Are you the author?
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Urology.
Reference: BJU Int. 2015 Mar 21. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1111/bju.13127
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25810028