Clinicopathologic characteristics and lymph node status in the NAUTILUS clinical trial:KBCSG-21

The NAUTILUS trial randomized cT1-2/N0 breast cancer patients to evaluate the non-inferiority of omitting SLNB. We report the clinicopathologic characteristics and axillary lymph node (ALN) status of the patients enrolled in the NAUTILUS trial and suggest expectations based on the results of this trial, which are relevant in the context of the SOUND and INSEMA trials, where the majority of participants were aged 50 years or older.

The NAUTILUS trial randomized 1734 subjects into SLNB or no-SLNB arms. Axillary ultrasonography was mandatory to determine clinical N0. Clinicopathologic variables and ALN status in the SLNB arm were analyzed to determine expectations for the NAUTILUS trial results compared to other clinical trials.

Among 1734 patients, 1664 subjects were available for clinicopathologic analysis; 50.4% were in the SLNB arm and 49.6% were in the no-SLNB arm. Median age was 55 (range, 29-92) years, and 40.1% were premenopausal. Overall, 1.7%, 83.9%, and 14.0% subjects were pTmic, pT1, and pT2, respectively, with a median tumor size of 1.3 cm (range, 0.1-6.0). In the SLNB arm, 11.2% had ALN metastasis, comprising 1.1%, 9.4%, and 0.6% with pN1mic, pN1, and pN2-3, respectively. ALN metastasis rates according to tumor size were 7.0%, 12.8%, and 17.2% for sizes ≤1.0 cm, >1.0 cm & ≤ 2.0 cm, and >2.0 cm & ≤ 5.0 cm, respectively.

The NAUTILUS trial completed enrollment, with included 14.0% pT2 and 40.1% premenopausal subjects and is expected to show the impact of SLNB omission in these subgroups.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04303715.