RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To establish the feasibility of newly started sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in our center at the Royal Hospital in the Sultanate of Oman. METHODS: Twenty five patients with Breast cancer and melanoma were staged with sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, followed by Axillary lymph Node Dissection (ALND). Axillary SLN were detected by injection of blue dye alone or with radioisotope. Intraoperatively, a gamma probe detector identified the isotope-labeled SLN. Two patients underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy. The SLNs were examined histologically by hematoxylin-eosin staining and, if negative by this method an immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was done. RESULTS: The only failure to detect inguinal SLN was one case after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Total detection rate of SLN was of 96%. Metastatic spread occurred in 11 patients of these 9 had other lymph node (LN) involved. Nine patients had no SLN involvement and no other LNs involved. CONCLUSIONS: Ethically, according to the international recommendations and looking to the statistics of the Sultanate all clinical NO should have the choise of SLN biopsy prior to ALND.
