title: Frequency of sentinel lymph node metastases in patients with favorable breast cancer histologic subtypes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The need for axillary nodal staging in favorable histologic subtypes of breast cancer is controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with clinical stage T1-2, N0 breast cancer were enrolled in a prospective, multi-institutional study. All patients underwent sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy followed by completion level I/II axillary dissection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SLN were identified in 3,106 of 3,324 patients (93%). Axillary metastases were found in 35% and 40% of patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma and infiltrating lobular carcinoma, respectively. Among tumor subtypes, positive nodes were found in 17% of patients with pure tubular carcinoma, 7% of patients with papillary cancer, 6% of patients with colloid (mucinous) carcinoma, 21% of patients with medullary carcinoma, and 8% of patients with DCIS with microinvasion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with favorable breast cancer subtypes have a significant rate of axillary nodal metastasis. Axillary nodal staging remains important in such patients; SLN biopsy is an ideal method to obtain this staging information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, 315 E. Broadway, Suite 309, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laidley
authors.forename: R Dirk
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Noyes
authors.forename: Terre
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McGlothin
authors.forename: Philip B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Ley
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tuttle
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schadt
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pennington
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Legenza
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McMasters
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001363:Awards and Prizes; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy