title: Obesity and lymphatic mapping with sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With increasing sentinel lymph node experience, patient subsets associated with lower success rates are being identified. Obesity may be one such subset.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was conducted of breast cancer patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy from March 1997 to September 2002. Factors examined included demographics, body mass index (BMI), breast size, tumor characteristics, lymphoscintigraphy drainage, and success of mapping. Chi-square and exact P values were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred seventy-four breast cancer patients had sentinel lymph node biopsy. Sixty-seven patients were normal weight (BMI <25.1); 56 patients were overweight (BMI 25.1 to 29.9); and 51 patients were obese (BMI >29.9). Failure to identify a sentinel lymph node and the false negative rate were not statistically different (P = 0.7783 and P = 0.9290, respectively) among the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity has no significant effect on sentinel node identification rate or false negative rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 825 Fairfax Ave., Suite 610, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA.
authors.forename: Marybeth
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Goffman
authors.forename: Roger R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laronga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy