Table 3. SLNB performance by years: 2011–7 versus 2018–20.
| 2011–7 | 2018–20 | Statistical association | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | |||
| MB only | 374 (57%) | 224 (25%) | χ2 = 636, p < 0.001 |
| RI only | 43 (6.5%) | 3 (0.5%) | |
| MB + RI | 232 (35.3%) | 88 (11%) | |
| MB + ICG | 8 (1.2%) | 549 (63.5%) | |
| IR | 624/657 (95%) | 836/864 (96.7%) | χ2 = 3.1, p = 0.07 |
| Number of SLN removed, mean (SD) | 2.68 (1.5) | 3.2 (1.8) | t = −6.5, p < 0.01 |
| SLNB positivity rate | 216/624 (34.6%) | 221/836 (26.4%) | χ2 = 11.4, p < 0.01 |
MB: Methylene blue, RI: Radioisotope, ICG: Indo cyanine green, IR: Identification rate