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Immunohistochemical analysis of sentinel lymph nodes from patients with Merkel cell carcinoma
Author(s) -
Allen Peter J.,
Busam Klaus,
Hill Arnold D. K.,
Stojadinovic Alexander,
Coit Daniel G.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(20010915)92:6<1650::aid-cncr1491>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - medicine , merkel cell carcinoma , sentinel lymph node , lymph , lymph node , pathology , immunohistochemistry , h&e stain , carcinoma , lymphatic system , biopsy , melanoma , metastasis , cancer , breast cancer , cancer research
BACKGROUND Immunohistochemical analysis of sentinel lymph nodes from patients with breast carcinoma and melanoma has been shown to increase the sensitivity for detecting lymph node metastases. To the authors' knowledge, this technique has not been described in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma. METHODS Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed on 26 patients with Merkel cell carcinoma between 1997 and 1999. All sentinel lymph nodes were analyzed with conventional hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and then analyzed with immunohistochemical staining to evaluate whether this additional technique would increase the number of patients found to have lymph node metastasis. RESULTS The median age of the patients in the current study was 67 years and the median tumor size at the time of presentation was 2 cm. Lymph node metastases were identified in 5 of the 26 patients (19%). Three of these five lymph node positive patients were identified with H&E staining. The remaining two patients were identified only after immunohistochemical analysis. The median follow‐up in this group of lymph node positive patients was 14 months, with 2 of the 5 lymph node positive patients developing a recurrence. The median follow‐up in the 21 patients who were lymph node negative was 19 months, with only 1 patient having developed a recurrence at the time of last follow‐up. CONCLUSIONS Immunohistochemical analysis of sentinel lymph nodes from patients with Merkel cell carcinoma appears to increase the sensitivity of detecting clinically occult lymph node metastases. Cancer 2001;92:1650–55. © 2001 American Cancer Society.