Evaluation of three scoring systems predicting non sentinel node metastasis in breast cancer patients with a positive sentinel node biopsy.
BACKGROUND
Completion axillary lymph node dissection (cALND), performed after a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in breast cancer patients, often results in no additional positive nodes. Scoring systems have been published to aid in the prediction of nonsentinel node metastasis. Our purpose was to assess the validity of these scoring systems in our patient population.


METHODS
For 39 consecutive patients who underwent cALND after a positive SLNB, scores were calculated using retrospective patient data for each of the three scoring systems used. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were drawn, and the areas under the curves were calculated to assess the discriminative power of each system. Univariate analysis was performed to assess the predictability of individual patient and tumor characteristics.


RESULTS
Nonsentinel nodes were positive in 23 (59%) patients. The areas under the ROC curves were 0.63, 0.70, and 0.68, respectively. The proportion of sentinel nodes that were positive and the total number of sentinel nodes retrieved were the only individual predictors of nonsentinel node metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Given the high incidence of retrieving no additional metastasis on cALND, individualized patient management according to risk is desirable. Scoring systems provide additional information regarding the likelihood of metastasis in nonsentinel nodes, but their predictability remains less than optimal. The use of scoring systems must be applied with caution until future studies provide a more accurate assessment of risk for patients with a positive SLNB.
Dauphine
Christine E
CE
Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA.
Haukoos
Jason S
JS
Vargas
Maria P
MP
Isaac
Nova M
NM
Khalkhali
Iraj
I
Vargas
Hernan I
HI
D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy