Late Axillary Recurrence After Negative Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy is Uncommon

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Breast Cancer Research

Background:

• Axillary recurrence (AR) is a concern in breast cancer management.
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a standard staging procedure.
• Understanding late AR incidence is crucial for long-term patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of late axillary recurrence (AR) in breast cancer patients with negative sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB).
• To compare the incidence of AR in node-negative patients with node-positive patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from a large institutional database (1997-2000).
• Inclusion of 1529 breast cancer patients with negative SLNB.
• Comparative analysis with a contemporaneous group of SLNB-positive patients undergoing ALND.

Main Results:

• The cumulative incidence of AR as a first event was low: 0.9% at 10 years and 0.9% at 15 years post-SLNB in node-negative patients.
• Late AR (>5 years) occurred in only five patients.
• AR incidence was similarly low in SLNB-positive patients undergoing ALND.

Conclusions:

• Late axillary recurrence after negative SLNB is a rare event.
• The majority of axillary recurrences occur within the first 5 years post-surgery.
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a safe and effective procedure for axillary staging in breast cancer.