Axillary lymph node dissection for sentinel lymph node micrometastases may be safely omitted in early-stage breast cancer patients: long-term outcomes of a prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term disease-free and overall survival of patients with sentinel lymph node (SLN) micrometastases, in whom a completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was systematically omitted.

BACKGROUND: The use of step sectioning and immunohistochemistry for SLN analysis results in a more accurate histopathologic examination and a higher detection rate of micrometastases. However, the clinical relevance and therapeutic implications of SLN micrometastases remain a matter of debate.

METHODS: In this prospective study, 236 SLN biopsies were performed in 234 consecutive early-stage breast cancer patients (T1, T2 .2 mm to
RESULTS: The SLN was negative in 55% of patients (123 of 224). SLN micrometastases were detected in 27 patients (27 of 224, 12%). After a median follow-up of 77 months (range, 24-106 months), neither locoregional recurrences nor distant metastases occurred in any of the 27 patients with SLN micrometastases. There were no statistically significant differences for overall (P = .656), locoregional (P = .174), and axillary and distant disease-free survival (P = .15) between patients with negative SLN and SLN micrometastases.

CONCLUSIONS: This analysis of unselected patients provides evidence that a completion level I and II ALND may be safely omitted in early-stage breast cancer patients with SLN micrometastases.