Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026
Single-port Non-liposuction Endoscopic Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: April 3, 2026
High-resolution axillary ultrasound is a poor prognostic test for determining pathologic lymph node status in
Nancy Klauber-Demore1, Cherie Kuzmiak, Erika L Rager
1Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3010 Old Clinic Bldg., CB No. 7213, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. nancy_demore@med.unc.edu
Background:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of high-resolution axillary ultrasound in detecting axillary lymph node metastases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer.
Methods:
Fifty-three patients with stage II or III breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy who had a physical examination, high-resolution axillary ultrasound, and axillary lymph node dissection from January 1999 to September 2003 were included in this study.
Results:
The positive predictive value of the postchemotherapy ultrasound for predicting pathologic nodal involvement was 83%, but the negative predictive value was only 52%. Postchemotherapy physical examination was also poor at predicting pathologic nodal involvement with a positive predictive value of 93% and a negative predictive value of only 58%.
Conclusions:
A negative post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy high-resolution axillary ultrasound or physical examination does not predict pathologic node status, and this test has limited value in this setting.
