IS A COMPLETION AXILLARY DISSECTION NECESSARY FOR PATIENTS WITH METATASIS IN SENTINEL LYMPH NODE?

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer allows for accurate staging of the axilla while the axillary node dissection can be avoided in patients with no sentinel node metastasis. However the sentinel lymph node is the only focus of axillary metastasis in a significant proportion of patients. The purpose of this study is to determine if a completion axillary dissection is necessary when microscopic metastasis is detected in the sentinel lymph node (SLN) of patients diagnosed with breast cancer.