OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility and clinical significance of sentinel lymph node (SLN) navigation limited surgery in early gastric cancer (EGC).

METHODSThirty-nine patients confirmed with EGC between January 2002 and December 2006 were randomly divided into tailored surgery group (20 cases) and conventional surgery group (19 cases). By combining the mapping agents of (99m)Tc labeled sulfur colloid solution and blue violet, SLN biopsy was conducted in tailored surgery group, in which a limited gastric resection with D0-D1 lymphadenectomy was performed in 17 cases with negative SLN examined by routine HE staining during operation; standard radical gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy (D2) was conducted in the other 3 cases with positive SLN and in all the cases of conventional surgery group. The diagnostic accuracy and false-negative rate of SLN status were calculated respectively. The operation outcome and postoperative complication and survival rate were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSSLNs were detected in all 20 patients with a successful detection rate of 100% in tailored surgery group. The number of detected SLNs ranged from 1 to 3, with a mean of 2.2 per case. The diagnostic accuracy and false-negative rate was 95% and 5%, respectively. The hospital stay and recovery time of gastrointestinal functions in patients undergoing limited surgery were significantly shorter than in conventional surgery group and with similar postoperative survival and less complications.

CONCLUSIONSSLN biopsy may provide an accurate diagnostic procedure for detecting lymph node metastasis in EGC. Patients with node-negative EGC receiving limited surgery are likely to benefit from minimally invasive approach with the similar survival as standard radical surgery.