Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a well-established procedure for staging clinically node-negative early breast cancer (BC). Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) demonstrated efficacy for nodal identification using a magnetic probe after local retroaeroal interstitial injection. Its benefits lie in its flexibility, which is an essential property in the global setting, where access to the isotope is difficult. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the SPIO for SLNB in BC patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Seventy-four female patients were included. The median time of lymph node retrieval was 20 min. The median number of resected sentinel nodes (SNs) was 4. SN was detected in all patients. No serious adverse event was observed. SPIO in identifying SN in BC patients after NAC is feasible and oncologically safe.
Keywords: SPIO; breast cancer; neoadjuvant chemotherapy; sentinel lymph node.