Factors affecting false-negative breast sentinel node biopsy in Chinese patients.
BACKGROUND
The objective of the research was to validate our results on sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and to determine factors affecting false-negative (FN) rates of SLNB in Chinese patients with invasive breast cancers.


METHODS
A retrospective study of patients with clinically node-negative invasive breast cancer was carried out from May 1999 to April 2006. A combination of radioisotope (99m)technetium(Tc)-albumin sulfur colloid and Patent Blue V dye was used to identify the sentinel lymph node. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was followed by standard level I and II axillary dissection in all patients. Various clinicopathologic variables were analysed to determine factors associated with FN SLNB.


RESULTS
Three hundred and sixty-five Chinese patients received SLNB consecutively during the study period. Seventy-eight patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 56 patients with in situ carcinoma were excluded. A total of 231 patients were studied. Sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 221 patients (95.7%). There were 10 FN, resulting in a FN rate of 12.5% and accuracy rate of 95.5%. Only the number of sentinel lymph node harvested was found to be a significant factor affecting FN rates on univariate (P < 0.009) and multivariate logistic regression (odds ratio: 2.65; 95% confidence interval: 2.57-2.73; P < 0.000).


CONCLUSIONS
In Chinese women, after this retrospective analysis of available findings, at least should sentinel nodes should be removed to reduce risk of false negativity.
Chok
Kenneth S H
KS
Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong Medical Centre, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Suen
Dacita T K
DT
Lim
Fiona M Y
FM
Li
George K H
GK
Kwong
Ava
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002681:China; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy