[Is axillary interventions necessary in early breast cancer?]

Axillary interventions, represented by axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), has been a key component in radical surgeries for breast cancer since the proposal of radical mastectomy. ALND substantially affects the quality of life of the patients. In recent years, many studies suggested that axillary interventions may not be necessary for all breast cancer patients, and for early early-stage patients, it brings more harm than benefit. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has provided good guidance to indicate the necessity of ALND, but several studies revealed that not all patients with positive SLNB results benefited from ALND. In this review, the authors summarize the recent progress of researches of these two hot issues.