title: Nine years of experience with the sentinel lymph node biopsy in a single Italian center: a retrospective analysis of 1,050 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aims to determine the prevalence and predictive factors for recurrence after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and for sentinel lymph node positivity by SLNB in our population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We followed up all SLNBs performed between 2002 and 2010 and analyzed data by R (version2.10.1), considering p < 0.05 significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 1,050 patients with SLNB, 23% (245/1050) underwent secondary axillary dissection (CALND). Axillary recurrence prevalence among patients with negative SLNB was 1% (6/805) at a mean follow-up of 54 months (±14), and 1.7% (95% CI 0.2-3.1%) after 6 years of follow-up, as all recurrences developed between the 3rd and the 6th years of follow-up. By multivariate analysis, axillary recurrence results correlated with large tumor size, high number of excised nodes, lymphovascular invasion, high grading, multifocality, Her-2 positivity, intraductal histology, and comedo-like necrosis. Moreover, SLNB positivity results correlated with young age, large tumor size, high number of excised nodes, negative history for second primary malignancies, lymphovascular invasion, and high grading.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cancer characteristics represent important predictive factors for SLNB positivity, as well as for axillary recurrence in patients with negative SLNB, independently, by surgical and nonsurgical treatment. Therefore, cancer biological behavior and the patient's hormonal profile should be evaluated with care to better tailor the follow-up of women with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Univesitaria di Udine, Udine, Italy. dr.bertozzi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertozzi
authors.forename: Ambrogio P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Londero
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giacomuzzi
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Angione
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dri
authors.forename: Arnalda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Petri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy