Lymphatic Mapping After Previous Breast Surgery
Lymphatic Mapping After Previous Breast Surgery
Rationale: Like in primary breast cancer, prognosis in recurrent breast cancer is correlated
 with regional lymph node status. Therefore, axillary staging may be warranted in patients
 with recurrent disease and intact axillary nodes, although this has not been described in
 guidelines yet. The lymphatic drainage pathways in the breast and/or axilla could have been
 changed due to prior surgery and/or radiotherapy. These aberrant drainage pathways could be
 detected with lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy (SNB), leading to a more accurate
 staging.

 Objective: To assess the technical feasibility of lymphoscintigraphy after prior breast
 surgery. A second goal is to investigate whether or not previous breast surgery (with or
 without radiotherapy) significantly changes the lymphatic drainage pathways of the breast.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  treatment with BCT with SNB and/or ALND for primary breast cancer

 -  previous primary breast cancer located in the upper-outer quadrant of one breast

 -  Primary breast cancer treatment at least 3 years before the analysis, with or without
 adjuvant chemo- or hormonal therapy.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  breast surgery for other reasons than breast cancer

 -  recurrent breast cancer

 -  former allergic reaction to 99mTc-colloidal albumin.