Ultrasonography of the axilla in the follow-up of breast cancer patients who have a negative sentinel node biopsy and who avoid axillary clearance.
The clinical value of ultrasonography of the axilla in detection of breast cancer recurrence is not known among patients who have a negative sentinel node biopsy and avoid axillary clearance. We studied a cohort of 205 such patients using ultrasonography one and three years after breast surgery. A recurrent tumour was found in the axilla in only two (0.5%) of the total of 383 ultrasound examinations performed during the study, and only one (0.3%) of the 369 examinations performed at the scheduled study visits revealed cancer. None of the ultrasound examinations was false positive, and no study participant was subjected to unnecessary surgery due to ultrasound monitoring. We conclude that the rate of breast cancer recurrence in the ipsilateral axilla is low following sparing of the axillary contents, and that monitoring of such patients with repeated ultrasound examinations is unlikely to be cost-effective.
Leikola
Junnu
J
Breast Surgery Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. junnu.leikola@hus.fi
Saarto
Tiina
T
Joensuu
Heikki
H
Sarvas
Krista
K
Vironen
Jaana
J
Von Smitten
Karl
K
Virkkunen
Pekka
P
Vanharanta
Brita
B
Mäkelä
Pekka
P
Leidenius
Marjut
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001365:Axilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography