Swiss Prospective, Multicenter Study Sentinel Lymph Node Procedure in Colon Cancer
Swiss Prospective, Multicenter Study Sentinel Lymph Node Procedure in Colon Cancer
The study is a feasibility and validation study of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure in
 all stages of colon cancer. If the SLN can be reliably identified, it could be submitted to a
 more accurate histopathological examination (multiple sections, special staining). The
 detection of micrometastases in the SLN (occult stage III, upstaging) is possible. Patients
 with micrometastases should be considered at higher risk.

 Additionally, a search for occult metastatic tumor cells in the bone marrow is performed.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Colon cancer at any stage diagnosed histologically or high degree of suspicion for
 colon cancer at endoscopy, which cannot be confirmed with certainty in the biopsy. The
 diagnosis of cancer must be certain in the definitive histology.

 -  Possibility of transabdominal injection of the dye (cancers below the peritoneal
 reflection in which the injection of dye must be carried out through rectoscopy, are
 therefore excluded).

 -  Patient's informed consent

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Prior intrabdominal tumor surgery

 -  Other preexisting malignancies

 -  Hypersensitivity/allergy to dye (isosulfan blue)

 -  Pregnancy

 -  Breast-feeding

 -  No patient's informed consent