1 ABSTRACT Background Breast cancer cell population characteristics are used in common clinical practice for estimation of prognosis of the malignant disease (prognostic factors) and for prediction of reactivity of the tumor to certain therapeutic modality (predictive factors). Also axillary lymph node status is an independent prognostic factor in women with early breast cancer. Therefore, surgical excision and following histopathological examination of the nodes is the obligatory part of primary breast cancer surgery. The extension of axillary surgery varies widely, although sentinel lymph node biopsy is considered to be the standard procedure. However, it must be admitted that this type of procedure need not be optimal for all the breast cancer patients. Aims of the study The aim of this study is the verify the hypothesis whether or not the axillary lymph node metastatic affection can be effectively estimated using non-surgical methods - i.e. by evaluation of the combination of prognostic and predictive factors of the primary breast tumor. Statistical model composed on the basis of data of early breast cancer patients is the basic tool for this prediction. Application of this model In everyday practice can enable to adjust the extent of axillary surgery for each individual patient. Patients and methods A...

Background: A landmark study suggested that wide excision of intermediate-thickness melanoma with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and subsequent completion lymph node dissection (CLND) for regional disease may improve prognostication and disease-free survival (DFS) compared with those undergoing wide excision alone. However, these benefits were relatively small and not associated with an improvement in disease-specific survival (DSS). It remains unknown if SLNB and subsequent treatments are beneficial in elderly patients who have a decreased overall (OS) due to other causes. Methods: Adults ≥ 70 years of age, who underwent surgical intervention for intermediate-thickness cutaneous melanoma from 2000-2013 were identified from a prospectively-maintained database. Clinicopathologic variables measured included age, gender, anatomic site, histologic type, tumor thickness, ulceration, receipt and result of SLNB, completion of CLND, OS, and DFS. Results: Ninety-one patients underwent excision of an intermediate-thickness melanoma. Forty-nine patients (54%) received a SLNB. Seven of these biopsies (14%) were positive, and five patients went on to receive CLND. Five-year OS was 41% in patients who did not receive SLNB and 52% in patients who did receive SLNB (p=0.11). DFS was similar between groups independent of receipt of SLNB. Conclusion: Among elderly patients with intermediate-thickness melanoma, patients who received SLNB had similar 5-year OS and DFS compared with those who did not receive SLNB. Routine SLNB for intermediate-thickness melanoma patients may not significantly change outcomes for this age group, and clinical decision-making should consider individual patient comorbidities and goals of care.

The sentinel lymph node biopsy is part of recommended surgical staging guidelines in patients with early stages of cervical cancer. High success rates of bilateral detection of SLN are achieved in sites with adequate experience with this procedure. The sentinel lymph node biopsy without systematic pelvic lymph node dissection is currently considered inadequate procedure for stages IB to IIA of the disease. One of the benefits of sentinel lymph node detection is extensive histopathological examination using the ultrastaging protocol enabling detection of small metastases (i.e. micrometastases). At the moment, there is lack of evidence about oncological safety of sentinel lymph node biopsy which might replace systematic lymph node dissection in the future. Prognostic significance of micrometastases is also controversial due to the lack of data about their potential presence in non-sentinel lymph nodes in cases with negative sentinel lymph nodes. This dissertation deals with the concept of sentinel lymph node biopsy in the cervical cancer and focuses on several topics. We have shown that the presence of micrometastasis is associated with significant negative impact on patients' prognosis on the largest retrospective cohort of patients ever published. Only 67% of patients with micrometastasis have...

A radiação ionizante prévia promove alterações actínicas em tecidos peritumorais,o que poderia influenciar a demarcação do linfonodo sentinela.O presente estudo desenvolveu modelo experimental para demarcação do linfonodo sentinela do reto do rato e para definição da dose de radiação (curva de calibração). O objetivo foi avaliar a influência da radiação ionizante pré-operatória sobre a marcação, com corante azul patente, do linfonodo sentinela do reto de ratos. A amostra foi constituída por 40 ratos machos Wistar e dividida em 2 grupos:Grupo 1 (controle não irradiado; n = 20) e Grupo 2 (irradiado com 1200cGy e demarcado 2 dias após; n = 20). Foi observado aumento linear do tempo de coloração do linfonodo no Grupo 2. Concluindo,a irradiação pré-operatória não influiu na demarcação do linfonodo sentinela do reto do rato / Previous ionizing radiation induces actinic alterations in peritumoral tissues and thus might influence the localization of the sentinel lymph node. The present study developed an experimental model for the localization of the sentinel lymph node of the rectum of the rat and for the definition of the dose of radiation (calibration curve). The objective was to evaluate the influence of preoperative ionizing radiation on the staining of a patent blue dye in the sentinel lymph node of the rectum in rats.The sample was composed of 40 male Wistar rats and was divided in two groups: Group 1 (non-irradiated control; n = 20 ) and Group 2(irradiated with 1200cGy and stained 2 days afterwards; n = 20). It was observed a linear increase in the time for the staining of the lymph in Group 2.In conclusion, preoperative irradiation did not influence the staining of the sentinel lymph node of the rectum in rats

A radiação ionizante prévia promove alterações actínicas em tecidos peritumorais,o que poderia influenciar a demarcação do linfonodo sentinela.O presente estudo desenvolveu modelo experimental para demarcação do linfonodo sentinela do reto do rato e para definição da dose de radiação (curva de calibração). O objetivo foi avaliar a influência da radiação ionizante pré-operatória sobre a marcação, com corante azul patente, do linfonodo sentinela do reto de ratos. A amostra foi constituída por 40 ratos machos Wistar e dividida em 2 grupos:Grupo 1 (controle não irradiado; n = 20) e Grupo 2 (irradiado com 1200cGy e demarcado 2 dias após; n = 20). Foi observado aumento linear do tempo de coloração do linfonodo no Grupo 2. Concluindo,a irradiação pré-operatória não influiu na demarcação do linfonodo sentinela do reto do rato / Previous ionizing radiation induces actinic alterations in peritumoral tissues and thus might influence the localization of the sentinel lymph node. The present study developed an experimental model for the localization of the sentinel lymph node of the rectum of the rat and for the definition of the dose of radiation (calibration curve). The objective was to evaluate the influence of preoperative ionizing radiation on the staining of a patent blue dye in the sentinel lymph node of the rectum in rats.The sample was composed of 40 male Wistar rats and was divided in two groups: Group 1 (non-irradiated control; n = 20 ) and Group 2(irradiated with 1200cGy and stained 2 days afterwards; n = 20). It was observed a linear increase in the time for the staining of the lymph in Group 2.In conclusion, preoperative irradiation did not influence the staining of the sentinel lymph node of the rectum in rats