title: Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer: predictors of axillary and non-sentinel lymph node involvement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a standard method for the evaluation of axillary status in patients with T1-2N0M0 breast cancers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prognostic significance of primary tumour-related clinico-histopathological factors on axillary and non-sentinel lymph node involvement of patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, 157 sentinel lymph node biopsies were performed in 151 consecutive patients with early stage breast cancer between June 2008 and December 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Successful lymphatic mapping was obtained in 157 of 158 procedures (99.4%). The incidence of larger tumour size (2.543±1.21 vs. 1.974±1.04), lymphatic vessel invasion (70.6% vs. 29.4%), blood vessel invasion (84.2% vs. 15.8%), and invasive lobular carcinoma subtype (72.7% vs. 27.3%) were statistically significantly higher in patients with positive SLNs. Logistic stepwise regression analysis disclosed tumour size (odds ratio: 1.51, p=0.0021) and lymphatic vessel invasion (odds ratio: 4.68, p=0.001) as significant primary tumour-related prognostic determinants of SLN metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A close relationship was identified between tumour size and lymphatic vessel invasion of the primary tumour and axillary lymph node involvement. However, the positive predictive value of these two independent variables is low and there is no compelling evidence to recommend their use in routine clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Turkish Ministry of Health İzmir Bozyaka Research and Training Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Postacı
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Turkish Ministry of Health İzmir Bozyaka Research and Training Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Baha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zengel
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ege University Medical Faculty, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ulkem
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yararbaş
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Turkish Ministry of Health İzmir Bozyaka Research and Training Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uslu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Turkish Ministry of Health İzmir Bozyaka Research and Training Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nuket
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eliyatkın
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Turkish Ministry of Health İzmir Bozyaka Research and Training Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Göksever
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akpınar
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Turkish Ministry of Health İzmir Bozyaka Research and Training Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fevzi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cengiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ege University Medical Faculty, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Raika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Durusoy
keywords: Breast neoplasms; lymphatic metastasis; sentinel lymph node biopsy