title: Impact of sentinel node biopsy on long-term quality of life in breast cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess long-term quality of life (QoL) over a period of 6 years in women with breast cancer (BC) who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), or SLNB followed by ALND.
  
  
  METHODS
  The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ)-C30 and the EORTC-QLQ-BR-23 questionnaires were used to assess QoL before surgery, just after surgery, 6, 12 and 72 months later. The longitudinal effect of surgical modalities on QoL was assessed with a mixed model analysis of variance for repeated measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred and eighteen BC patients were initially included. The median follow-up was 6 years. During the follow-up, 61 patients died. None of the patients of the SLNB group developed lymphedema during follow-up and the relapse rate was similar in the different groups (P=0.62). Before surgery, global health status (P=0.52) and arm symptoms (BRAS) (P=0.99) QoL scores were similar whatever the surgical procedure. The BRAS score (P=0.0001) was better in the SLNB group 72 months after surgery. Moreover, during follow-up, patients treated with SLNB had lower arm symptoms scores than ALND patients and there was no difference for arm symptoms between patients treated with ALND and those treated with SLNB followed by complementary ALND.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term follow-up showed that SLNB was associated with less morbidity than ALND.
authors.affiliation: Department of surgery/Georges François Leclerc Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre-1 rue Professeur Marion, 21000 Dijon, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Gournay
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guyomard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coutant
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boulet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arveux
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Causeret
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gouy
authors.forename: M-M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Padeano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Loustalot
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sauzedde
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smail
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Combier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chevillote
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosburger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonnetain
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fraisse
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Dabakuyo-Yonli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery; D011788:Quality of Life; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors