title: Prognostic implications of positive nonsentinel lymph nodes removed during selective sentinel lymphadenectomy for breast cancer.
abstract: Nonsentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) are commonly removed at the time of selective sentinel lymphadenectomy (SSL). Their predictive value for the rest of the nodal basin is unknown. A retrospective review of 436 breast cancer patients who underwent SSL between 12/97 and 04/03 at a single institution. One-hundred nineteen patients had non-SLNs removed at SSL; eight were positive (6.7%). Positive non-SLNs predicted that SLNs would also be positive (p = 0.008). There was no difference in rates of additional positive nodes found on completion axillary node dissection between the non-SLN and SLN positive patients (p = 0.62). After adjustment for covariates, the presence of positive non-SLNs was not associated with poorer disease free survival (p = 0.24), time to systemic recurrence (p = 0.57), or overall survival (p = 0.70). Positive non-SLNs removed during SSL are not a significant risk factor for additional positive nodes on completion axillary nodal dissection (CALND) or for worse survival than positive SLNs.
authors: Department of Surgery and UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. 94143-1674, USA.
authors: Julie E
authors: JE
authors: Lang
authors: Liang-Chih
authors: LC
authors: Liu
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Lu
authors: Tyler
authors: T
authors: Jenkins
authors: Shelley E
authors: SE
authors: Hwang
authors: Laura J
authors: LJ
authors: Esserman
authors: Cheryl A
authors: CA
authors: Ewing
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Alvarado
authors: Eugene
authors: E
authors: Morita
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Treseler
authors: Stanley P
authors: SP
authors: Leong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome