The risk of axillary relapse after sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer is comparable with that of axillary lymph node dissection: A follow-up study of 4008 procedures Journal Article
| Authors: | Naik, A. M.; Fey, J.; Gemignani, M.; Heerdt, A.; Montgomery, L.; Petrek, J.; Port, E.; Sacchini, V.; Sclafani, L.; Van Zee, K.; Wagman, R.; Borgen, P. I.; Cody, H. S. 3rd |
| Article Title: | The risk of axillary relapse after sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer is comparable with that of axillary lymph node dissection: A follow-up study of 4008 procedures |
| Abstract: | Objective: We sought to identify the rate of axillary recurrence after sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy for breast cancer. Summary Background Data: SLN biopsy is a new standard of care for axillary lymph node staging in breast cancer. Nevertheless, most validated series of SLN biopsy confirm that the SLN is falsely negative in 5-10% of node-positive cases, and few studies report the rate of axillary local recurrence (LR) for that subset of patients staged by SLN biopsy alone. Methods: Through December of 2002, 4008 consecutive SLN biopsy procedures were performed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for unilateral invasive breast cancer. Patients were categorized in 4 groups: SLN-negative with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND; n = 326), SLN-negative without ALND (n = 2340), SLN-positive with ALND (n = 1132), and SLN-positive without ALND (n = 210). Clinical and pathologic characteristics and follow-up data for each of the 4 cohorts were evaluated with emphasis on patterns of axillary LR. Results: With a median follow-up of 31 months (range, 1-75), axillary LR occurred in 10/4008 (0.25%) patients overall. In 3 cases (0.07%) the axillary LR was the first site of treatment failure, in 4 (0.1%) it was coincident with breast LR, and in 3 (0.07%) it was coincident with distant metastases. Axillary LR was more frequent among the unconventionally treated SLN-positive/no ALND patients than in the other 3 conventionally treated cohorts (1.4% versus 0.18%, P = 0.013). Conclusions: Axillary LR after SLN biopsy, with or without ALND, is a rare event, and this low relapse rate supports wider use of SLN biopsy for breast cancer staging. There is a low-risk subset of SLN-positive patients in whom completion ALND may not be required. |
| Keywords: | adult; middle aged; treatment failure; major clinical study; cancer recurrence; conference paper; comparative study; cancer staging; follow up; follow-up studies; lymph node dissection; lymphatic metastasis; lymph node excision; sentinel lymph node biopsy; metastasis; neoplasm recurrence, local; breast cancer; risk factors; breast neoplasms; risk assessment; axillary lymph node; axilla; humans; human; female; priority journal |
| Journal Title: | Annals of Surgery |
| Volume: | 240 |
| Issue: | 3 |
| ISSN: | 0003-4932 |
| Publisher: | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |
| Date Published: | 2004-09-01 |
| Start Page: | 462 |
| End Page: | 471 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1097/01.sla.0000137130.23530.19 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PMCID: | PMC1356436 |
| PUBMED: | 15319717 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Ann. Surg. -- Cited By (since 1996):279 -- Export Date: 16 June 2014 -- CODEN: ANSUA -- Source: Scopus |
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