title: Treatment of sentinel node-positive breast cancer.
abstract: Sentinel node biopsy has become well accepted as a minimally invasive means of accurately staging the axilla in breast cancer patients. Patients with metastases in the sentinel node(s) have traditionally proceeded to completion of axillary node dissection, whereas patients who are node negative can be spared the morbidity of this procedure. Recently, there has been some debate as to what constitutes node-positive disease and whether patients with metastasis in the sentinel node(s) require completion axillary dissection. This review addresses the controversies regarding the management of sentinel node-positive breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology Director, JG Brown Cancer Center Multidisciplinary Breast Program, University of Louisville, 312 East Broadway, Suite #314, Louisville, KY 40202, USA. anees.chagpar@nortonhealthcare.org
authors.forename: Anees B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Chagpar
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McMasters
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy