Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
 31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) as originally described by D.L. Morton et al. (Surg Oncol Clin North Am 1992;1:247-59), is currently being used at most tertiary institutions for staging patients with intermediate-level melanomas. Identification and subsequent surgical resection of occult metastasis before the development of clinical disease may improve survival in these patients. This study is a retrospective review of patients with intermediate melanomas treated by the senior author (P.S.D.). Isosulfan blue dye and a radioactive technetium-labeled dye were used to identify the sentinel node. Sentinel nodes were evaluated by routine hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemical staining for S-100 and HMB-45, and later in the study with multipanel reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. All patients were followed closely. Fifty-seven patients with primary melanoma were evaluated between December 1995 and June 1998. Thirty-two patients underwent SLND; two patients underwent SLND on two separate drainage basins, for a total of 34 procedures. The median age was 49 years (range, 19-77). There were 11 females and 21 males. The locations of the primary melanoma were: head and neck, seven; extremity, 8; and trunk, 18; 1 patient had a dual primary melanoma at presentation. Clark's levels of invasion among the patients were level III, 5; and level IV, 27; median Breslow thickness was 1.4 mm (range, 0.45-3.8 mm). A sentinel node was not identified in four procedures (11.1%). Twenty-two nodes (73%) were negative by all methods, and eight (27%) were positive by at least one method. All positive patients underwent complete lymphadenectomy, and routine hematoxylin and eosin stains identified no additional positive nodes. Median follow-up was 21 months (6-36 months). Two patients developed recurrent disease. The other 30 patients remain disease free at last follow-up. SLND is a low-morbidity technique that accurately stages patients with intermediate-level melanoma. Early intervention with complete therapeutic lymphadenectomy and possible interferon therapy may improve the survival of patients with stage III melanoma. A complete discussion of the technique for SLND and an update of this data is presented.
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PMID:Sentinel lymphadenectomy for staging patients with intermediate-level melanoma. 1075

Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer death in the United States. The pattern of regional lymph node involvement is a major prognostic factor in a patient with nonsmall cell lung cancer. The accuracy of information obtained about the lymph node status of lung cancer patients can be potentially increased by sentinel node lymphatic mapping. This technique has been well studied in melanoma and breast cancer. It may be useful in increasing the detection of micrometastases and in decreasing the morbidity from complete mediastinal lymphadenectomy. We report an animal pilot study of pulmonary lymphatic mapping. The aim of our study was to gain experience in the surgical techniques for pulmonary sentinel node lymphatic mapping in an animal model prior to its application in humans. Technetium sulfur colloid and isosulfan blue dye were injected into different lobes of the lung followed by attempts to identify the sentinel node draining that specific portion of the lung. Technetium sulfur colloid identified the sentinel node in five of six dogs within 20 min after the radiotracer was injected into the lung parenchyma. Isosulfan blue dye identified the sentinel node in three of six dogs within 5 min. Both the agents are potentially useful, but we found greater technical ease in identifying the sentinel node with technetium sulfur colloid. Two single-institution pilot studies in humans have been performed. A multicentered study to validate and further refine this technique is necessary. Advanced pathologic techniques such as immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction can be used to enhance the accuracy of staging. This may facilitate proper application of novel therapeutic strategies to improve the current dismal prognosis of this disease.
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PMID:Pulmonary lymphatic mapping in dogs: use of technetium sulfur colloid and isosulfan blue for pulmonary sentinel lymph node mapping in dogs. 1244 26