Usefulness of Breast MRI for Safe Omission of Axillary Lymph Nodes Dissection in Sentinel Node-Positive Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Preoperative identification of patients with extensive lymph node metastasis (LNM) is important for safe omission of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in sentinel node (SN)-positive (SN+) breast cancer patients. Methods: We evaluated retrospectively the collected data of 758 breast cancer patients who underwent axillary surgery between 2008 and 2017, excluding those who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Results: Of the 758 patients, 607 were not suspicious to have LNM by axillary ultrasound (AUS-), but 38 suspicious cases were found by breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of 15 patients undergoing axillary fine needle biopsy (AFNA) due to second-look axillary ultrasound (AUS), 9 underwent ALND because of a positive AFNA (AFNA+). Among 81 (10.9%) patients undergoing ALND due to SN+ findings, 6 (7.4%) had extensive LNM (LNM ≥ 4). If MRI was not performed, among the 90 of 673 patients undergoing ALND who had SN+ findings, 12 (13.3%) had LNM ≥ 4. Conclusions: The proportion of cases with LNM ≥ 4 was reduced from 13.3% to 7.4% among patients undergoing SN biopsies combined with breast MRI. ALND might be omitted safely in SN+ cases according to detailed preoperative evaluations using additional breast MRI to ultrasound.

Early Results of Omitting Completion Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis-Positive Breast Cancer Patients

Background: We investigated the early results of omitting completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) for axillary node metastasis-negative (N0), sentinel node (SN) metastasis-positive breast cancer patients. Patients and Methods: 489 patients had invasive N0 breast cancer treated without completion ALND, regardless of their SN metastasis status. Analyses included the associations between the SN metastasis status, clinicopathological findings and recurrence, between recurrence and clinicopathological findings, and recurrence-free survival. Results: 430 patients were SN biopsy (SNB)-negative, and 59 were SNB-positive. The SNB-positive patients received significantly more potent adjuvant therapy than the SNB-negative patients. Median follow-up was 3.7 years, and the axillary node recurrence was seen in 6 patients (1.2%) and recurrence in 21 patients. The SN status showed no associations with the clinicopathological findings or recurrence. Univariate analysis showed recurrence was associated with absence of hormonal therapy, ER-negative, PgR-negative, HER2-positive or triple-negative (TNBC) disease, a tumor ≥2.1 cm and higher nuclear grade. Multivariate analysis showed recurrence was associated with absence of hormonal therapy and a tumor ≥2.1 cm. Cox proportional hazards model showed recurrence was extremely early in ER-negative and TNBC patients. Conclusion: Completion ALND can be skipped in N0 breast cancer patients even if they are SNB-positive, but adjuvant therapy is essential.

No Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in Breast Cancer Patients with Sentinel Lymph Node Micrometastasis

Follow-up data of a series of 75 breast cancer patients with sentinel node (SN) micrometastases only (between 0.2 and 2 mm) and favorable histopathological features of the primary tumor (well-differentiated, T1 tumors without lymphovascular invasion) who refused completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) or who were unsuitable for surgery were assessed in order to detect the rate of axillary recurrence after an adjuvant chemoand/or hormonal adjuvant treatment was given. The great majority of patients (81.3%) did not undergo ALND due to the existence of favorable histopathologic factors while the rest were equally distributed among over 75-year-old women (10.6%) and patients at a high surgical risk due to comorbid conditions (9.3%). Sixty-six patients (88%) underwent conservative treatment (lumpectomy followed by adjuvant breast radiotherapy) while the remaining nine patients (12%) had total mastectomy;72 out of 75 patients (96%) received some forms of adjuvant chemoand/or hormone-therapy. After a median follow-up of 38 months (range 12 - 84 months), nine out of 75 patients (12%) had a disease relapse, only one of them (1.3%) being affected by an axillary recurrence in the untreated axilla three years after primary surgery. On these grounds, completion ALND could be safely omitted in patients with SN micrometastasis and favorable histopathological characteristics of the primary neoplasm due to the very low rate of axillary recurrence with no detrimental effect on survival.

Efficacy and prognosis of mastoscopic axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer:a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis

Objective:To systematically evaluate the efficacy and prognosis of breast lumpectomy axillary lymphatic dissection for the treatment of breast cancer.Methods:We use computer to search PubMed,The Cochrane Library,EMBASE,Web of Science,China Knowledge Network,Wanfang database,VIP database and CBM for randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of breast lumpectomy in axillary lymphatic dissection for breast cancer.The search time frame was from the database establishment to July 2021.Meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.4.1 software after 2 investigators independently screened the literature,extracted information,and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies.Results:A total of 20 RCTs including 2672 patients were included.Mastoscopic axillary lymph node dissection(MALND)was used in the trial group and conventional axillary lymph node dissection(CALND)was used in the control group.The results showed that the trial group was more effective in controlling bleeding volume[MD=-54.72,95%CI(-79.73,-29.71),P<0.00001],postoperative drainage[MD=-98.99,95%CI(-128.83,-69.15),P<0.00001],length of hospital stay[MD=-2.75,95%CI(-4.67,-0.83),P=0.005],and incidence rate of adverse reaction[RR=0.30,95%CI(0.19,0.45),P<0.00001]were superior to the control group,and the differences were statistically significant.Conclusions:Current evidence suggests that MALND can achieve better outcomes compared with CALND.It is more advantageous in controlling the bleeding volume,postoperative drainage,length of hospital stays,and incidence rate of adverse events.

Axillary lymph node dissection plus radiotherapy may be an optimal strategy for patients with occult breast cancer

Background:Because of the rarity of occult breast cancer(OBC)and limited experience in OBC treatment,the optimal treatment strategy is unknown.This study aimed to compare the efficacy of axillary lymph node dissection(ALND)plus radiotherapy with that of mastectomy plus ALND in patients with OBC.Methods:Relevant clinical data between January 2004 and December 2015 were retrospectively collected from the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results database.The clinical characteristics and prognoses of patients who underwent ALND plus radiotherapy or mastectomy plus ALND were compared before and after propensity score matching.Results:Overall,569 eligible patients with OBC were included in this study.Of these,247 patients underwent ALND plus radiotherapy and 322 underwent mastectomy plus ALND.The 5-year overall survival(OS)rates in the ALND plus radiotherapy group and the mastectomy plus ALND group were 89.2%and 80.6%,respectively;and the corresponding 5-year breast cancer-specific survival(BCSS)rates were 95.2%and 93.0%,respectively.After propensity score matching,the OS in the ALND plus radiotherapy group was significantly better than that in the mastectomy plus ALND group.In addition,further subgroup analyses revealed that ALND plus radiotherapy prolonged OS in the pN3 subgroup.Among patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy,those who underwent ALND plus radiotherapy had better BCSS and OS than those who underwent mastectomy plus ALND.Conclusions:ALND plus radiotherapy could improve the OS of patients with OBC,especially those with pN3 disease and those receiving chemotherapy.ALND combined with radiotherapy is the optimal treatment strategy for patients with imaging-negative OBC.

Axillary lymph node management in breast cancer with positive sentinel lymph node biopsy

The surgical treatment of localized breast cancer has become progressively less aggressive over the years.The management of the axillary lymph nodes has been modified by the introduction of sentinel lymph node biopsy. Axillary dissection can be avoided in patients with sentinel lymph node negative biopsies. Based on randomized trials data, it has been proposed that no lymph node dissection should be carried out even in certain patients with sentinel lymph node positive biopsies. This commentary discusses the basis of such recommendations and cautions against a general omission of lymph node dissection in breast cancer patients with positive sentinel lymph node biopsies. Instead, an individualized approach based on axillary tumor burden and biology of the cancer should be considered.

Accuracy of Ultrasound Examination of Loco-Regional Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer Follow-Up and Its Role in the Axillary Surgical Management

Objective: Major international guidelines have not standardized the sequence of diagnostic examinations during the follow-up of a patient with a diagnosed breast cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the accuracy of sonography in the diagnosis of loco-regional lymphatic recurrences in comparison to the core needle biopsy results. Materials and Methods: Among 6455 patients who were followed up with clinical examination, mammography and ultrasound between January 2004 and November 2011, 125 (1.93%) patients had to be investigated with a core needle biopsy of a sonographically suspicious loco-regional lymph node. Results: Among the whole series, a total of 142 ultrasound-guided core needle biopsies were performed. Follow-up for the primary tumor lasted for a median time of 6.1 years (range 1 - 27 years). Ultrasound of suspicious loco-regional lymph nodes showed a sensitivity of 89.5%, a specificity of 87.1% and a positive predictive value of 89.5%. Conclusions: In our experience, ultrasound of suspicious loco-regional lymph nodes showed good accuracy and it should be a part of the standard examinations performed during follow-up for breast cancer.

Analysis of factors related to non-sentinel lymph node metastasis in 296 sentinel lymph node-positive Chinese breast cancer patients

Objective: Axillary lymph node dissection(ALND) may be unnecessary in 20%–60% of breast cancer patients with sentinel lymph node(NSLN) metastasis. The aim of the present study was to review the medical records of Chinese patients with early-stage breast cancer and positive NSLN metastasis to identify clinicopathological characteristics as risk factors for non-NSLN metastasis.Methods: The medical records of 2008 early-stage breast cancer patients who received intraoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB) between 2006 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. These patients were clinically and radiologically lymph nodenegative and had no prior history of receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy or endocrinotherapy. The clinicopathological characteristics of patients with positive NSLN metastasis who underwent ALND were investigated.Results: In the present study, 296 patients with positive NSLN metastases underwent ALND. Positive non-NSLN metastases were confirmed in 95 patients(32.1%). On univariate analysis, ≥ 3 positive NSLN metastases(P <0.01), NSLN macrometastases(P =0.023), and lymphovascular invasion(P = 0.04) were associated with non-NSLN metastasis(P <0.05). In multivariate analysis, the number of positive SLNs was the most significant predictor of non-SLN metastasis. For patients with 0, 1, 2, or 3 associated risk factors, the non-SLN metastatic rates were 11.5%, 22.5%, 35.2%, and 73.1%, respectively.Conclusions: The number of positive NSLNs, NSLN macrometastases, and lymphovascular invasion were correlated with nonSLN metastasis. The number of positive SLNs was an independent predictor for non-NSLN metastasis. When 2 or 3 risk factors were present in one patient, the probability of non-NSLN was higher than that in the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 trial(27.3%); thus, avoiding ALND should be considered carefully.

Locoregional treatment of early breast cancer with isolated tumor cells or micrometastases on sentinel lymph node biopsy

The advent of sentinel lymph-node technique has led to a shift in lymph-node staging,due to the emergence of new entities namely micrometastases(p N1mi) and isolated tumor cells [p N0(i+)].The prognostic significance of this low positivity in axillary lymph nodes is currently debated,as is,therefore its management.This article provides updates evidence-based medicine data to take into account for treatment decision-making in this setting,discussing the locoregional treatment in p N0(i+) and p N1 mi patients(completion axillary dissection,axillary irradiation with or without regional nodes irradiation,or observation),according to systemic treatment,with the goal to help physicians in their daily practice.

The Initial Implementation of the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) for Breast Cancer Management in Malta

Over the past two decades, the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) based on sentinel node (SN) being the first lymph node that harbors metastases, revolutionized breast cancer management. SLNB presents much less morbidity when compared to radical axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) where all nodes are dissected irrespective of their metastatic involvement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of SLNB by investigating whether the histological characteristics of the SNs identified using scintigraphy are predictive of the histological characteristics of the ALN basin. Methods: Fifty-five female breast cancer patients underwent lymphoscintigraphy and SLNB followed by ALND. The histological status of the SN/s was correlated to the histological status of the ALNs to determine whether the SN accurately stages the ALNs in breast cancer. Results: During surgery, SNs were successfully isolated in 52 out of 55 cases (94.5%) (range, 0 to 9). No SNs were identified in 3 cases (5.5%). Results demonstrate a significant association (p = 0.05) between the metastatic status of SNs and the corresponding ALNs in 42 out of 52 patients (80.8%), but with a high false-negative rate (FNR) of 37.5%. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that the sentinel node concept provides the benefits of SLNB in the majority of instances. However, further work is required in reducing the FNR. Once the effectiveness of SLNB as a staging technique is locally established, the need of ALND in SN-negative patients would be limited, thus improving the quality of life of Maltese breast cancer patients.

Feasibility of Performing Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) after Mastectomy: A Case Report

Introduction: Previous mastectomy remains a contraindication to SLNB as normal drainage patterns of the breast can be disturbed. Patients diagnosed with DCIS on core biopsy and later found to have microinvasive or invasive carci-noma at the time of mastectomy are deprived of the opportunity for SLNB and need to undergo axillary dissection. We explored the option and feasibility of performing SLNB in a 39-year-old female who underwent a simple mastectomy without axillary sampling for extensive DCIS and later found to have microinvasive ductal carcinoma on permanent pathology. Results: Lymphatic mapping using subdermal injection of 99mTc-labeled sulfur colloid and blue dye led to the identification of five SLNs. Histopathologic examination showed no metastasis. Conclusion: SNLB is feasible in this setting. However, before its use is routinely adopted, its feasibility and accuracy has to be demonstrated in larger num-bers of patients in whom a negative SLNB is followed by a completion axillary dissection.

Macrometastasis at selective lymph node biopsy:A practical goingfor-the-one clinical scoring system to personalize decision making

BACKGROUND Axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB)is standard treatment for patients with clinically and pathological negative lymph nodes.However,the role of completion axillary lymph node dissection(cALND)following positive sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB)is debated.AIM To identify a subgroup of women with high axillary tumor burden undergoing SLNB in whom cALND can be safely omitted in order to reduce the risk of longterm complications and create a Preoperative Clinical Risk Index(PCRI)that helps us in our clinical practice to optimize the selection of these patients.METHODS Patients with positive SLNB who underwent a cALND were included in this study.Univariate and multivariate analysis of prognostic and predictive factors were used to create a PCRI for safely omitting cALND.RESULTS From May 2007 to April 2014,we performed 1140 SLN biopsies,of which 125 were positive for tumor and justified to practice a posterior cALND.Pathologic findings at SLNB were micrometastases(mic)in 29 cases(23.4%)and macrometastasis(MAC)in 95 cases(76.6%).On univariate analysis of the 95 patients with MAC,statistically significant factors included:age,grade,phenotype,histology,lymphovascular invasion,lymph-node tumor size,and number of positive SLN.On multivariate analysis,only lymph-node tumor size(≤20 mm)and number of positive SLN(>1)retained significance.A numerical tool was created giving each of the parameters a value to predict preoperatively which patients would not benefit from cALND.Patients with a PCRI≤15 has low probability(<10%)of having additional lymph node involvement,a PRCI between 15-17.6 has a probability of 43%,and the probability increases to 69%in patients with a PCRI>17.6.CONCLUSION The PCRI seems to be a useful tool to prospectively estimate the risk of nodal involvement after positive SLN and to identify those patients who could omit cALND.Further prospective studies are necessary to validate PCRI clinical generalization.

The Risk Factors of Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Patients Post Axillary Clearance

Introduction: Breast cancer is the number one malignancy affecting females in Saudi Arabia with a prevalence of 22.4%. Breast cancer incidence increases annually due to the aid of established screening programs, leading to the discovery of breast cancer in its early stages. Surgical treatment is an integral part of early breast cancer management to achieve local control. Axillary surgical interventions such sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and axillary lymph node clearance (ALND) aim to stage the axilla as an adjunct to the management of the primary breast tumor. In this paper, we reviewed female breast cancer patients aged 30 - 60 who underwent surgical treatment of SLNB and/or ALND with reporting the prevalence of lymphedema and other associated complications and risk factors. Methodology: A cross-sectional non-interventional study, with a sample size of 250 including breast cancer cases from 2016 to 2019 at National Guard Hospital (NGH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 253 breast cancer cases were included in this study, with a mean age of 53 years, 52.7% were postmenopausal and positive family history was present among 21% of cases. Further, 90.9% of the cases had unilateral disease. Staging was as follows: stage I 14.5%, stage II 45.2%, stage III 37.1%, and stage IV 3.2%. Mastectomy was done in 73.4% cases and lumpectomy was performed in 34.1% of cases. In addition, 93.3% of patients had SLNB and 49% of them were positive. Axillary dissection was performed in 69.6% of our patients. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were given to 71.8% and 80.4% of cases respectively. Among the chemotherapy (chemo) recipients, 40.2% received adjuvant chemo, 54.5% received neoadjuvant chemo, and the remaining 5.3% received both. Further, the most prevalent complication was pain accounting for 42.1% of total complications, and the least prevalent was cellulitis 4%. Also, seroma developed in 18.3% cases, paresthesia noted in 5.6% of cases, winged scapula was reported as 2%, weakness and necrosis were seen in 6% and 13.1% of cases respectively. Axillary vein thrombosis and lymphangiosarcoma were reported in none of the patients (0%). Lymphoedema accounted for 16.1% of overall complications, 85% of the patients who developed lymphedema had undergone ALND, and 12.9% and 14.4% received radiotherapy and chemotherapy respectively. Lymphedema was observed in breast cancer stages as follows: stage I 1.2%, stage II 7.2%, and stage III 5.2%. Patients with body mass index (BMI) of 30 - 39 kg/m2 had 7.2% prevalence of lymphedema compared to other BMI groups. Overall mortality was 8.3%. Conclusion: The findings of our study suggest that the prevalence of lymphedema was higher in ALND patients with locally advanced tumors, and higher BMI, compared to patients with stage I breast cancer and low BMI. Further, the prevalence of lymphedema in patients who underwent ALND was significantly lower than those who were treated by lumpectomy 10.3% (p-value = 0.034) in comparison to mastectomy 19.3%.

乳腺癌腋窝level Ⅲ组淋巴结微转移的检测和临床意义

目的:探讨乳腺癌腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结微转移的检测方法。评价腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结微转移与乳腺癌患者临床病理特征的关系。方法:2005年6月至2007年8月,收集75例腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结阴性患者的腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结,使用连续多层切片HE染色和连续多层切片EMA、CK19免疫组织化学染色检测腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结微转移状态,分析腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结微转移与乳腺癌患者临床病理特征的关系。结果:在75例患者中共检出235枚腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结,使用连续多层切片HE染色法发现6例6枚淋巴结存在微转移灶,另有3例3枚淋巴结的单个或多个癌细胞EMA和CK19均表达阳性。联合检测法的腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结微转移检出率为3.83%(9/235),腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结阴性患者微转移的阳性率为12.00%(9/75),腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结微转移与患者的肿瘤大小、组织学分级、腋窝level Ⅰ组淋巴结转移状态、腋窝levelⅡ组淋巴结转移状态和病理分期密切相关。结论:使用连续多层切片HE染色法,连续多层切片EMA、CK19免疫组织化学染色检测法检测腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结微转移是可行的,肿瘤大小、组织学分级、腋窝level Ⅰ、levelⅡ组淋巴结转移状态和病理分期可以作为预测乳腺癌腋窝levelⅢ组淋巴结微转移临床病理指标。

超声刀在乳腺癌腋窝Ⅲ组淋巴结清扫中的应用研究

目的:研究应用超声刀行乳腺癌腋窝Ⅲ组淋巴结清扫的近期疗效及安全性。方法:将2009年3月至2013年6月入住我院的80例乳腺癌病人随机分为超声刀组和电刀组,在Auchincloss改良根治术式基础上行腋窝Ⅲ组淋巴结清扫,对两组病人的手术时间、术中出血量、术后引流量和术后并发症等临床资料进行统计学分析。结果:超声刀组病人的手术时间和引流时间较电刀组明显缩短,出血量和引流总量均减少,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:超声刀在乳腺癌改良根治术中的应用能提高手术的精确度和安全性,值得推广。

Ⅲb期睾丸非精原细胞瘤综合治疗1例并文献复习

目的:探讨以BEP方案(顺铂、依托泊苷、博来霉素)化疗和腹腔镜下保留神经的腹膜后淋巴结清扫术(nsLRPLND)为基础的综合疗法治疗临床Ⅲb期睾丸非精原细胞瘤(NSGCT)的临床经验。方法:回顾性报告1例Ⅲb期睾丸NSGCT的临床资料及治疗方法,结合文献进行讨论。结果:化疗顺利,手术成功,围手术期无明显并发症,手术用时175min,术中出血50ml。术后随访6个月,肿瘤无局部复发及远处转移。结论:以BEP方案化疗和nsLRPLND为基础的综合疗法可能成为治疗临床Ⅲb期睾丸NSGCT的方法之一。

对Ⅲ期低位直肠癌行择区扩大淋巴结清扫的临床意义

背景与目的:目前对于Ⅲ期低位直肠癌的淋巴结清扫范围存在争议:日本学者多主张行择区扩大清扫双侧髂总、髂内、髂外和闭孔淋巴结脂肪组织;欧美学者则多主张行全直肠系膜切除术,辅以新辅助治疗。本研究旨在探讨对Ⅲ期低位直肠癌行择区扩大淋巴结清扫的临床意义。方法:对31例Ⅲ期低位直肠癌的病例(术前影像学分期,术后经病理证实)行择区扩大淋巴结清扫,即顺序清扫双侧髂总、髂内、髂外和闭孔淋巴结脂肪组织,尽量保留盆腔自主神经,除非神经受到肿瘤浸润,并与35例行传统根治术的低位直肠癌的病例进行比较。结果:行择区扩大淋巴结清扫组内有5例侧方淋巴结阳性(低分化腺癌4例、黏液细胞癌1例,较高、中分化腺癌有明显差异)。行择区扩大淋巴结清扫组在性功能障碍、排尿困难发生率及手术时间上与行传统根治术组差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),行择区扩大淋巴结清扫组在吻合口瘘和手术失血量上与行传统根治术组差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),但择区扩大淋巴结清扫组在盆腔复发率及5年生存率上优于传统根治术组。结论:对Ⅲ期低位直肠癌行择区扩大淋巴结清扫对降低盆腔复发、提高生存率有临床意义。

Targeted axillary dissection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for highly selective patients with initial cN1 breast cancer:A single-center prospective trial

Background:Sentinel lymph node(SLN)biopsy is gradually accepted as the standard of care in breast cancer patients with down-staged axillary disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC).However,it is still difficult to precisely define pre-NAC clinical node-positive(cN1)and post-NAC clinical node-negative(ycN0).This prospective single-center trial was designed to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of standard targeted axillary dissection(TAD)after NAC in highly selective pre-NAC cN1 patients(not considering ultrasound-based axillary ycN staging).Methods:This prospective trial included patients with initial pre-NAC cT1-3N1M0 invasive breast cancer but with a rigorous definition of cN1 from the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University.When NAC was effective(including complete and partial responses)and preoperative axillary palpation was negative,preoperative ultrasound-based axillary staging was not considered,and all patients underwent TAD followed by axillary lymph node(LN)dissection.The detection rate(DR)and false-negative rate(FNR)of TAD were calculated.Results:A total of 82 patients were included,and 77 of them were eligible for data analysis.The DR for TAD was 94.8%(73/77).There were 26 patients with one abnormal LN at the time of diagnosis based on ultrasound,45 patients with two,and 2 patients with three.One patient had one TAD LN,four patients had two TAD LNs,and 68 patients had three or more TAD LNs.Preoperative axillary palpation yielded negative results for all 73 patients who successfully underwent TAD.Preoperative ultrasound-based ycN0 and ycN+conditions were detected for 52 and 21 cases,respectively.The FNR was 7.4%(2/27)for standard TAD(≥3 SLNs),which was lower than that of all successful TAD(≥1 SLN;10.0%,3/30).Conclusions:In rigorously defined pre-NAC cN1 breast cancer patients,standard TAD is feasible for those with negative axillary palpation after NAC,and FNR is also less than 10%.Registration:chictr.org.cn,ChiCTR2100049093.

Can axillary radiotherapy replace axillary dissection for patients with positive sentinel nodes? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To compare the efficacy of axillary radiotherapy (ART) with that of completion axillary lymph node dissection (cALND) in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients with a positive sentinel lymph node. Methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library by using the search terms 'breast cancer', 'sentinel lymph node biopsy', 'axillary radiotherapy' or 'regional node irradiation' for articles published between 2004 and 2016. Only randomized controlled trials that included patients with positive sentinel nodes were included in the meta-analysis. Results: Two randomized controlled trials and three retrospective studies were identified. The reported overall survival rate (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.75-1.43, P = 0.365), disease-free survival rate (HR = 1.01, 95% CI:0.58-1.45, P = 0.144), and axillary recurrence rate (1.2% and 0.4%, and 1.3% and 0.8%, respectively) were similar in both groups. The absence of knowledge on the extent of nodal involvement in the ART group appeared to have no major impact on the administration of adjuvant systemic therapy. Conclusions: ART is not inferior to cALND in the patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer who had a positive sentinel lymph node. Information obtained by using cALND after SLNB may have no major impact on the administration of adjuvant systemic therapy.

Towards optimal management of the axilla in the context of a positive sentinel node biopsy in early breast cancer

The sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB) was initially pioneered for staging melanoma in 1994 and it has been subsequently validated by several trials, and has become the new standard of care for patients with clinically node negative invasive breast cancer. The focussed examination of fewer lymph nodes in addition to improvements in histopathological and molecular analysis has increased the rate at which micrometastases and isolated tumour cells are identified. In this article we review the literature regarding the optimal management of the axilla when the SLNB is positive for metastatic disease based on level 1 evidence derived from randomised clinical trials.