Navigation surgery for intraoperative sentinel lymph node detection using Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence real-time imaging in breast cancer

A new sensitive fluorescence imaging system was developed for the real-time identification of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in patients with early breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of a color charge-coupled device camera system for the intraoperative detection of SLNs and to determine its clinical efficacy and sensitivity in patients with operable breast cancer. We assessed a total of 168 patients diagnosed with or suspected of having early-stage breast cancer without metastasis in SLNs. The intraoperative detection of SLNs was performed using the conventional Indigo Carmine dye (indigotindisulfonate sodium) technique combined with a new Indocyanine green (ICG) imaging system (HyperEye Medical System: HEMS, MIZUHO IKAKOGYO, Japan) to map SLNs, in which the lymphatic vessels and SLNs were visualized transcutaneously with illuminating ICG fluorescence. Between January 2012 and May 2013, SLNs were successfully identified in all 168 patients (detection rate: 100 %). By histopathology, the sensitivity was 93.8 % for the detection of the metastatic involvement of SLNs (15 of 16 nodal-positive patients). After a median follow-up of 30.5 months, none of the patients presented with axillary recurrence. These results suggest that the HEMS imaging system is a feasible and effective method for the detection of SLNs in breast cancer. Furthermore, the HEMS device permitted the transcutaneous visualization of lymphatic vessels under light conditions, thus facilitating the identification and detection of SLNs without affecting the surgical procedure, together with a high sensitivity and specificity.