Micrometastases of the Sentinel Lymph Node in the Patients with Lung Cancer

本研究纳入51例临床T1N0M0非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）患者。术中检测前哨淋巴结（SNs）。SN定位后，行肺叶切除术、肺门及纵隔淋巴结清扫。采用苏木精和伊红（H&E）染色及免疫组织化学细胞角蛋白染色检查所有淋巴结的转移情况。SN检出率为80.4%（41/51）。患者平均SNs数为1.8±1.1个。两例患者经H&E染色诊断为淋巴结转移。LNMM仅出现在2例患者的SNs中。另一方面，非sn未发现微转移。根据这些结果，2例临床T1N1M0 NSCLC患者迁移到T1N1M0。评估所有淋巴结的微转移可能被评估SNs的微转移所取代。

Fifty one patients with clinical T1N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were enrolled in this study. Sentinel nodes (SNs) were then detected intraoperatively. After SN mapping, lobectomy and hilar and mediastinal lymph node dissection were performed. Metastases of all dissected lymph nodes were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemical cytokeratin staining. SN detection rate was 80.4% (41/51). Average number of SNs was 1.8±1.1 in a patient. Lymph node metastases were diagnosed in two patients using H&E staining. LNMM were found only in SNs of two patients. On the other hand, micrometastasis was not found in non-SN. According to these results two patients with clinical T1N0M0 NSCLC migrated to T1N1M0. Evaluation of micrometastases of all dissected lymph nodes may be substituted by evaluating micrometastases of SNs.