| Abstract: |
The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 trial revealed that for women who have clinically node-negative breast cancer treated with breast-conserving therapy and found to have metastases in one or two sentinel lymph nodes, sentinel lymph node dissection alone results in local-regional control, disease-free survival, and overall survival similar to those achieved with axillary lymph node dissection. Use of these data to guide treatment has the potential to spare a substantial number of women with early-stage breast cancer the morbidity associated with axillary lymph node dissection. In this article, we review the trial data, discuss the applicability of the results, and identify strategies for implementing the findings of the study in clinical practice. © Springer Science+Business Media 2013. |
