Radio-guided sentinel node detection during the surgical treatment of rectal cancer

Abstract

The scintigraphic method of detection of sentinel nodes in total mesorectal excision is not therapeutic, but diagnostic, and demonstrates a high level of reliability. It can be used to indicate the nodes that should be examined to detect the presence of possible micrometastases immunohistochemically. However, this method cannot be used for all detected nodes as it is very demanding. In the evaluated group of patients, there were no intraoperative or postoperative complications caused by this diagnostic method.

Endoscopic posterior mesorectal resection as an option to combine local treatment of early stage rectal cancer with partial mesorectal lymphadenectomy

“…An interesting option for further studies will be the combination of sentinel lymph node detection and EPMR in patients with rectal cancer [3,6,9]. The main advantage of such an approach could be that the inclusion of the relevant lymph nodes in the specimen can be controlled.…”