Abstract
In breast cancer patients who have received primary chemotherapy and then no longer
have any suspicious lymph nodes clinically and/or on imaging, marking of initially
suspicious axillary lymph nodes with targeted removal has recently been discussed
and practised both in Germany and internationally as an alternative to complete axillary
lymph node dissection. Tattooing of the suspicious lymph nodes with a highly purified
carbon suspension is currently being investigated in clinical studies. Compared with
other techniques, the advantages of this method are the high rate of intraoperative
lymph node detection, avoidance of an immediately preoperative localisation procedure
and the low costs. The practical aspects of lymph node tattooing and the current data
regarding this method will be described.
Key words
breast cancer - lymph nodes - carbon marking - primary chemotherapy - targeted axillary
dissection - TAD
