Effect of preoperative colonoscopic tattooing on lymph node harvest in T1 colorectal cancer.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

This study aimed to identify the impact of preoperative colonoscopic tattooing (PCT) on lymph node harvest in T1 colorectal cancer patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

One hundred and forty-three patients were included who underwent curative resection and were diagnosed with T1 colorectal cancer. These patients were categorized into the tattooing group and the non-tattooing group depending on whether preoperative India ink tattooing was done. Clinicopathological findings and lymph node harvest were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS:

The median number of lymph nodes examined was 18 in the tattooing group and 13 in the non-tattooing group (p < 0.001). The rate of adequate lymph node harvest (retrieval of more than 12 lymph nodes) was higher in the tattooing group than that in the non-tattooing group (83.7 vs. 58.5 %, p = 0.002). The PCT was significantly associated with adequate lymph node harvest in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 3.8; 95 % confidence interval, 1.5-9.2; p = 0.003). Among the 40 patients who showed at least one carbon particle-containing lymph nodes, the positive lymph node rate was not different between carbon-containing LNs (0.9 %) and non-carbon-containing LNs (1.7 %).

CONCLUSIONS:

PCT was associated with higher lymph node yield in T1 colorectal cancer. It is questionable if tattooing has additional detection power as a sentinel lymph node mapping tool in T1 colorectal cancer.

• Authors: Jeonghyun Kang, Heae Surng Park, Im-kyung Kim, Younghae Song, Seung Hyuk Baik, Seung-Kook Sohn, Kang Young Lee
• Journal: International journal of colorectal disease (Int J Colorectal Dis) Vol. 30 Issue 10 Pg. 1349-55 (Oct 2015) ISSN: 1432-1262 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 26152843 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Aged
• Colonoscopy (methods)
• Colorectal Neoplasms (pathology, surgery)
• Female
• Humans
• Lymph Node Excision (methods)
• Lymph Nodes (pathology, surgery)
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Male
• Neoplasm Staging (methods)
• Preoperative Care (methods)
• Tattooing