Laparoscopic lymphatic roadmapping with blue dye and radioisotope in colon cancer.

ABSTRACT

Lymphatic mapping (LM) and sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification by blue dye in colon cancer is a procedure feasible during minimally invasive surgery, with good specificity, but still a low sensitivity (78% in our series). These results are in accordance with the literature and have limited more widespread diffusion of the method, both as a tool for upstaging and more controversially, as a potential roadmap to a tailored lymphadenectomy. It is possible to improve the results of LM with careful selection of patients and by the use of an intraoperative gamma camera. The preliminary results of intra-operative lymphoscintigraphy are promising in a well-selected small group of patients, with high levels of sensitivity and specificity. If these results are confirmed in further prospective analyses, it may be possible to undertake selected, tailored lymphadenectomy.