title: A mathematical model for the effect of a false-negative sentinel node biopsy on breast cancer mortality: a tool for everyday use.
abstract: One of the concerns of using sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is the risks of a false-negative result (FNR). We have created a mathematical model to estimate the effects of FNR on mortality because of excess local recurrence and adjuvant therapy inappropriately withheld. With a FNR of 9.7%, the absolute effect on 10-year mortality is estimated to be less than 0.6% for all patients with tumours <2 cm in size. Since the impact of FNR on mortality is small and FNR rates do not improve with training, we suggest that detection rate alone is an adequate criterion for judging competence in SNB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK. j.s.vaidya@dundee.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jayant S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Vaidya
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dewar
authors.forename: Douglas C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Alastair M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D016019:Survival Analysis