Sentinel node biopsy in patients with previous breast aesthetic surgery.
BACKGROUND
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard method for axillary staging of early breast cancer. Recent studies have focused on questioning the initial contraindication to the technique. There has been insufficient data to recommend SLNB in patients with previous aesthetic breast surgery.


METHODS
Between April 2001 and June 2007, 70 patients with previous breast aesthetic surgery underwent SLNB. Fifty had a previous breast augmentation and 20 had breast reduction mammoplasty. All patients underwent lymphoscintigraphy with 99Tc according to our standard technique and sentinel node was identified in all cases.


RESULTS
Mean age at cosmetic surgery was 38 years. Mean number of years from aesthetic surgery to the development of the tumour was 10 years. Forty-nine patients underwent conservative breast surgery and 21 patients underwent mastectomy. The sentinel node identification rate was 100%. SLN was positive in 23 patients (32%); there were 18 cases with macrometastasis and 7 cases with micrometastasis. After median follow-up of 19 months, no axillary recurrences have been observed. We observed two ipsilateral local recurrences, one contralateral tumour and one patient developed lung metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Past history of breast augmentation or reduction is not a contraindication to SLNB technique.
Rodriguez Fernandez
Julia
J
Breast Surgery Department, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. julia.rodriguezfernandez@ieo.it
Martella
Stefano
S
Trifirò
Giuseppe
G
Caliskan
Mujgan
M
Chifu
Camelia
C
Brenelli
Fabricio
F
Botteri
Edoardo
E
Rossetto
Fabio
F
Rotmensz
Nicole
N
Rietjens
Mario
M
Veronesi
Paolo
P
D001365:Axilla; D001940:Breast / Q000601:surgery*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D016462:Mammaplasty; D008408:Mastectomy; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy