Recurrence rates in breast cancer patients with false-negative intraoperative evaluation of sentinel lymph nodes.
BACKGROUND
Intraoperative identification of sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases in breast cancer patients results in synchronous axillary lymph node dissection. We examined the effect of false-negative SLN biopsy on breast cancer treatments and recurrence rate.


METHODS
Patient and tumor characteristics, intraoperative and final SLN biopsy results, and treatments of patients with and without recurrence were compared.


RESULTS
Recurrence rates for patients with true-positive SLN biopsy (9%) were significantly higher than rates for false-negative SLN biopsy patients (2%). Recurrence rates were significantly higher for patients with primary tumors greater than 2 cm, positive lymph nodes greater than 2 mm, and tumors with negative hormone receptors, and varied with treatment extent.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with greater amounts of disease in the breast and axilla required more treatment and had a higher recurrence rate. False-negative SLN evaluation occurred more commonly in patients with less lymph node metastasis and was not associated with an increased recurrence rate.
Taras
Angie R
AR
Swedish Cancer Institute, Swedish Medical Center, 1221 Madison Ave., Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.
Hendrickson
Nyle A
NA
Lowe
Kimberly A
KA
Atwood
Mary
M
Beatty
J David
JD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D016019:Survival Analysis