Comparison of two suspension injection tracers of nano activated carbon and methylene blue in mapping and tracing of sentinel lymph nodes of patients with endometrial cancer

Objectives: To analyze the application efficiency of two tracers for sentinel lymph node mapping in patients with endometrial cancer.

Methods: The records of endometrial cancer patients treated in our hospital from July 2019 to July 2021 were selected. Among them, 29 patients received methylene blue suspension injection and 33 patients received nano activated carbon suspension injection. The staining of sentinel lymph nodes was recorded and the application efficiency of two different tracers were analyzed.

Results: Total detection rate, average number of sentinel lymph nodes and bilateral detection rate of nano activated carbon suspension injection were significantly higher than those of methylene blue suspension injection (P<0.05). Detection accuracy, positive predictive value and sensitivity of nano activated carbon suspension injection were significantly higher than those of methylene blue suspension injection (P<0.05). Incidence of complications was the same in the two groups (P>0.05). Tracing time of nano activated carbon suspension injection was significantly lower than that of methylene blue suspension injection, and the total duration was significantly higher than that of methylene blue suspension injection (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Nano activated carbon can obtain good detection effect in sentinel lymph node recognition in endometrial cancer patients, with shorter tracing time and higher total duration than methylene blue suspension.