Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER
Volume 45, Issue 8, Pages 1381-1388Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2008.11.041
Keywords
Negative sentinel node biopsy; Breast cancer; Overt axillary metastases
Categories
Funding
- Italian Association Cancer Research (AIRC)
- The American Italian Cancer Foundation
- Jacqueline Seroussi Foundation
- Tel Aviv
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Premises: Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in patients with breast carcinoma accurately predicts the axillary node status. However, in some 4-7% of patients with negative sentinel nodes, the remaining axillary nodes harbour cancer cells. Objective: Our purpose was the long-term observation of a large number of patients who did not receive axillary dissection after a negative sentinel node biopsy, in order to evaluate the incidence of overt axillary metastases. Methods: Patients (3548) treated from 1996 to 2004, with negative sentinel nodes not submitted to axillary dissection, were followed up to 11 years with a median follow-up of 48 months. Results: Three hundred and sixteen unfavourable events occurred among the 3548 patients, 196 of which (5.5%) related to primary breast carcinoma. Thirty one cases of overt axillary metastases were found (0.9%): they received total axillary dissection and 27 of them are at present alive and well. The 5-year overall survival rate of the whole series was 98%. Conclusions: Patients with negative sentinel node biopsy not submitted to axillary dissection show, at follow-up, a rate of overt axillary metastases lower than expected. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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