title: Ambulatory sentinel lymph node biopsy preceding neoadjuvant therapy in patients with operable breast cancer: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB)-oriented stepwise treatment under local anesthesia has been performed in the outpatient-ambulatory setting in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). We retrospectively reviewed our preliminary experience of ambulatory SNB in breast cancer patients scheduled to undergo NAT to evaluate the usefulness and feasibility of this method as a minimally invasive, stepwise treatment protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively identified 56 patients with breast cancer without obvious nodal involvement who were scheduled to receive NAT before breast surgery. SNB was performed under local anesthesia in an ambulatory outpatient setting before the initiation of NAT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average number of removed sentinel lymph nodes was 1.9. Identification of the sentinel node was possible in all cases, and macrometastasis was observed in six cases (10.7%). Micrometastasis was observed in five cases, while isolated tumor cells were noted in six cases. There were no delays in the initiation of NAT as a result of complications of SNB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study demonstrated the safety and feasibility of ambulatory SNB prior to NAT. Further studies are warranted to assess the strict indications, patient satisfaction, and medical economics of this procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. spqv9ke9@view.ocn.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. nonoda@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naoyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Onoda
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. asnyk0325@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. kent6124@ybb.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Kento
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurata
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. s-noda@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. hkawajiri75@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawajiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. tsutomu-@rd5.so-net.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. m-ohsawa@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohsawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. kitagawas@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. hirakawa@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D061206:Neoplasm Micrometastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy