ntroduction:
Management of the axilla in breast cancer has undergone a paradigm shift in recent decades. Studies in recent years have found no significant difference in disease recurrence and overall survival in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients treated with SLNB alone Vs those treated with SLNB plus completion ALND.
Aim of the work:
This study aimed to assess the incidence of metastatic disease beyond the SLN in patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer.
Patients and Methods:
This prospective single center study was conducted at the Surgical Oncology unit of the Alexandria Main University Hospital.Thirty-one female breast cancer patients with clinically node-negative axilla and had positive SLNB were included. Excluded from the study were patients post neoadjuvant chemotherapy,patients with previous axillary surgery and patients with negative SLNB. All patients had completion ALND after positive SLNB was detected by frozen section. Histopathologic assessment was done after completion ALND to detect metastasis beyond the SLNs. Univariate logistic regression analysis was done to identify clinicopathological features associated with non-SLNB metastasis.