Dr. Kuerer Discusses Sentinel Node Clipping

Henry M. Kuerer, MD, PhD, FACS, professor of surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses sentinel node clipping for post-chemotherapy identification.

There has been a paradigm shift in the local management of patients with node-positive breast cancer. It is known that chemotherapy and biologic agents can completely eradicate disease in approximately 3-6 months in a significant amount of patients.

Results from the ACOSOG Z1071 (Alliance) clinical trial led by Judy C. Boughey, MD, showed that the current sentinel node procedure has a fairly high false negative rate. There remains a need to be more accurate and do fewer surgeries.

At The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Kuerer says, a trial was completed in which physicians biopsied a patient’s lymph nodes, put a clip, and used an I-125 seed at the end to ensure that the node was removed and tested.

Other trials are ongoing that will hopefully minimize surgery, even for node positive patients.