Intraoperative axillary lymph node assessment in breast cancer

Bedside assessment of axillary lymph node metastases in breast cancer is notoriously inaccurate. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the clinical assessment of the presence of axillary node metastases in patients with breast cancer, both at the bedside and intraoperatively. Intraoperative assessment was significantly more accurate than bedside assessment, having an accuracy of 86%, compared with 66% of bedside clinical assessment. As axillary lymph node involvement is an important prognostic factor in breast cancer, this technique which has a high specificity and far higher sensitivity than bedside clinical assessment and may have a valuable role to play in planning management.