Staged sentinel lymph node biopsy before mastectomy facilitates surgical planning for breast cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
In patients with breast cancer who choose mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, the sentinel lymph node (SLN) status on permanent histology may complicate treatment if a metastasis is found. The purpose of this study was to determine how performing an SLN biopsy (SLNB) before the definitive operation would influence subsequent surgical procedures.


METHODS
Our SLN database was searched for patients who underwent staged SLNB with subsequent mastectomy between 2001 and 2004.


RESULTS
Twenty-five patients with 27 breast cancers underwent SLNB before mastectomy. Of them, 9 of 27 (33%) were node positive. All 9 patients underwent modified radical mastectomy. Three node-positive patients did not undergo immediate reconstruction. Of the remaining 6 node-positive patients, 5 underwent reconstruction with autologous tissue rather than a tissue expander. In contrast, 6 of 16 (37%) node-negative patients underwent reconstruction with a tissue expander.


CONCLUSIONS
Staged SLNB assists in selecting the appropriate operation in patients who are considering immediate reconstruction.
Klauber-Demore
Nancy
N
Division of Surgical Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3010 Old Clinic Bldg., CB No. 7213, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. nancy_demore@med.unc.edu
Calvo
Benjamin F
BF
Hultman
C Scott
CS
Kim
Hong Jin
HJ
Meyers
Michael O
MO
Damitz
Lynn
L
Frank
Jill S
JS
Stitzenberg
Karen B
KB
Sartor
Carolyn I
CI
Ollila
David W
DW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D016462:Mammaplasty; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*