Long-term follow-up results of breast cancer patients with sentinel lymph node biopsy using periareolar injection.
BACKGROUND
Areolar injection for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in breast cancer surgery has been adopted by many institutions. However, only one study has reported the follow-up results for patients whose SLNB was performed with this injection method alone.


METHODS
Three hundred eighty patients with breast cancer underwent SLNB with periareolar injection of both blue dye and radiotracer. The follow-up consisted of a physical examination every 3 months and annual mammography.


RESULTS
Of 380 patients with SLNB, 261 were found to have negative sentinel lymph nodes so that no ALND was performed. At a median follow-up of 39 months (range 13-74), 2 of the 261 patients developed axillary recurrence for an axillary relapse incidence of .77%. Five-year distant disease-free survival was 96.9%, and overall survival was 99.4%.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of axillary recurrence for the areolar injection method was low and consistent with that reported in other observational studies using other injection methods.
Imasato
Mitsunobu
M
Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2-E10 Yamada-oka Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Shimazu
Kenzo
K
Tamaki
Yasuhiro
Y
Taguchi
Tetsuya
T
Tanji
Yoshio
Y
Kim
Seung Jin
SJ
Noguchi
Shinzaburo
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001365:Axilla; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007267:Injections / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009558:Nipples; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004396:Coloring Agents; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone