title: Quality of life after sentinel lymph node biopsy versus complete axillary lymph node dissection in early breast cancer: a 3-year follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The rating of life quality may belong to the method of surgical treatment: after the axillary lymph node dissection patients may suffer from arm symptoms; after sentinel lymph node biopsy women may highlight the anxiety about the success of radical treatment. The aim was to assess the influence of sentinel lymph node biopsy on the quality of life of the patients with early stage breast cancer compared with total axillary lymph node dissection.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective case-control study, 48 patients with early invasive breast cancer and no evidence of lymph nodes involvement underwent breast conserving surgery with sentinel lymph node biopsy. They were grouped as matched pairs with the patients who underwert axillary lymph node dissection, according to the age, TNM stage, localization, hormonal receptor status, and surgical characteristics. Quality of life was evaluated using the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR-23 questionnaires before surgery and after 1, 3, 6, 12, and 36 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy scored better on the emotional functioning, pain, sexual functioning, and future perspective scales in comparison with those who underwent axillary lymph node dissection. The score on the arm symptom scale remained significantly better in the sentinel lymph node biopsy group than the axillary lymph node dissection group within the overall follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The women who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy experienced better quality of life than the patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania. algirdas.bogusevicius@kaunoklinikos.lt
authors.forename: Algirdas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boguševičius
authors.forename: Daiva
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Čepulienė
mesh_terms: D001365:Axilla / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000601:surgery*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011788:Quality of Life; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy