title: Positive sentinel lymph node biopsy predicts the number of metastatic axillary nodes of breast cancer.
abstract: It remains to be clarified whether a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) can predict the number of metastatic axillary nodes. This study examined a consecutive series of women with unilateral invasive breast cancer who underwent axillary lymph node dissection after an intra-operative positive SLNB. The numbers of positive and negative sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) were analyzed for a likelihood of pN1a, pN2a, and pN3a diseases as per the UICC TNM classification. Of the 368 study patients, 165 (45%) had one positive SLN and one or more negative SLNs. This result represented the most common combination of positive and negative SLNs. It was also the most predictive indicator (93%) of pN1a disease and the least predictive indicator (7% or 0%) of pN2a or pN3a disease, respectively. The numbers of positive and negative SLNs can predict the number of metastatic axillary nodes in breast cancer patients.
authors: Division of Breast Surgery, Saitama Cancer Center, 818 Komuro Ina, Kita-Adachi, Saitama 362-0806, Japan. h-takei@cancer-c.pref.saitama.jp
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Takei
authors: Masafumi
authors: M
authors: Kurosumi
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Yoshida
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Ninomiya
authors: Yuko
authors: Y
authors: Ishikawa
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Hayashi
authors: Katsunori
authors: K
authors: Tozuka
authors: Hideki
authors: H
authors: Asakawa
authors: Hanako
authors: H
authors: Oba
authors: Kenichi
authors: K
authors: Inoue
authors: Toshio
authors: T
authors: Tabei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001365:Axilla / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods