[Risk factors of non-sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients with positive sentinel lymph node ≤ 2].
OBJECTIVE
To explore retrospectively the risk factors of non-sentinel lymph node (NSLN) metastasis in breast cancer patients with sentinel lymph node metastasis ≤ 2 and examine the likelihood of non-sentinel lymph node prediction.


METHODS
A sentinel lymph node biopsy database containing 455 breast cancer patients admitted between July 2005 and February 2012 at Beijing Cancer Hospital was analyzed retrospectively. The patients had ≤ 2 positive sentinel lymph node and complete axillary lymph node dissection.


RESULTS
The SLNS⁺/SLNS ratio (P = 0.001), histological grade (P = 0.075), size of mass (P = 0.023) and onset age (P = 0.074) were correlated with NSLN metastases. Only SLNS⁺/SLNS (OR 0.502 95% CI 0.322-0.7844) , histological grade ratio (histological grade ratio II, III and others vs grade I OR 2.696, 2.102, 3.662) were significant independent predictors for NSLN metastases . The ROC value was 0.62 (0.56, 0.68).


CONCLUSIONS
For ≤ 2 positive sentinel lymph nodes of breast cancer, ratio of SLNS⁺/SLNS and histological grading are independent factors affecting NSLN metastases. However, the results remain unsatisfactory for predicting the status of NSLN.
Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis & Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Breast Cancer Center, Peking University School of Oncology, Beijing Cancer Hospital & Beijing Institute of Cancer Research, Beijing 100142, China; Center for Prevention & Cure of Breast Diseases, Maternal & Child Health Hospital of Haidian, Beijing 100080, China.
Yajun
Y
Gao
Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis & Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Breast Cancer Center, Peking University School of Oncology, Beijing Cancer Hospital & Beijing Institute of Cancer Research, Beijing 100142, China.
Yingjian
Y
He
Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis & Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Breast Cancer Center, Peking University School of Oncology, Beijing Cancer Hospital & Beijing Institute of Cancer Research, Beijing 100142, China.
Zhaoqing
Z
Fan
Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis & Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Breast Cancer Center, Peking University School of Oncology, Beijing Cancer Hospital & Beijing Institute of Cancer Research, Beijing 100142, China. Email: ouyanghongtao@263.net.
Tao
T
Ouyang
D017668:Age of Onset; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms; D012307:Risk Factors; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy