Feasibility of sentinel node biopsy for breast cancer after neoadjuvant endocrine therapy: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is used for evaluation of axillary lymph node status of patients with breast cancer. The usefulness of SNB after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not established. In addition, SNB after endocrine therapy has rarely been evaluated. We assessed the feasibility of dye guided SNB after neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in comparison with those of SNB after chemotherapy.


METHODS
A total of 36 patients subjected to SNB after endocrine therapy alone (n = 16) (tamoxifen, anastrozole or combination of goserelin and tamoxifen) or after chemotherapy (n = 20) (anthracycline and/or taxane) were included. SNB was performed with indigocarmine dye prior to the wide resection of the tumor or mastectomy.


RESULTS
Sentinel nodes were successfully identified in 100% (16/16) of patients after endocrine therapy and in 85% (17/20) of patients after chemotherapy. The mean number of harvested sentinel nodes was 2.2 after endocrine therapy and 1.8 after chemotherapy. There was no false negative case after endocrine therapy and there was one false negative case after chemotherapy (8% of overall false negative rate).


CONCLUSIONS
SNB seemed feasible and accurate after neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in patients with breast cancer.
Aihara
Tomohiko
T
Department of Surgery, Kansai Rosai Hospital, 3-1-69 Inabaso, Amagasaki, Hyogo 660-8511, Japan. aiharat@kanrou.net
Munakata
Satoru
S
Morino
Hideo
H
Takatsuka
Yuichi
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000077384:Anastrozole; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D017273:Goserelin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009570:Nitriles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010865:Pilot Projects; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014230:Triazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage
D018943:Anthracyclines; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D009570:Nitriles; D043823:Taxoids; D014230:Triazoles; D013629:Tamoxifen; D017273:Goserelin; C080625:taxane; D000077384:Anastrozole