Use of indocyanine green fluorescence versus patent blue V dye for sentinel lymph node biopsy in early breast cancer, a randomized controlled trial.
J Egypt Natl Canc InstSep 2, 2026 (epub)
Muhammad Nida, Ashraf Abdelmoghny, Ahmed G Osman et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial compared indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence with patent blue V (PBV) dye for sentinel lymph node biopsy in 40 patients with early-stage, node-negative breast cancer. ICG demonstrated a significantly higher sentinel lymph node identification rate of 100% compared to 75% for PBV (p=0.047), along with shorter detection times and lower false-negative rates.
Key findings
- ICG achieved a sentinel lymph node identification rate of 100% compared to 75% for PBV (p=0.047).
- Median detection time was significantly shorter with ICG at 14.5 minutes versus 24.0 minutes for PBV (p<0.001).
- ICG retrieved more sentinel lymph nodes on average (3.6 vs. 2.4, p=0.002).
- ICG had a 0% false-negative rate, while PBV had a 25% false-negative rate.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that ICG fluorescence may enhance the accuracy and efficiency of sentinel lymph node biopsy in early breast cancer, potentially improving patient outcomes and reducing complications associated with traditional methods.