Follow‐up of sentinel node negative breast cancer patients without axillary lymph node dissection

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Abstract
Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer patients at our institution and to report the follow-up status of node-negative patients with removal of only the sentinel node. Methods A total of 247 breast cancer patients underwent sentinel node (SN) mapping between June of 1996 and September of 2000. The SN was identified by using a combination of vital blue dye and a radiolabeled colloid. Results A SN was identified in 227 of 247 patients (91.9%). One hundred forty-five were SN negative, 82 were SN positive. All SN-positive patients underwent axillary dissection of level I and II, whereas 83 patients with a negative SN had SN biopsy only. Median follow-up of these patients at 22 months revealed no axillary recurrence; the morbidity resulting from SN biopsy was negligible. Conclusions Although the follow-up is very short, SN biopsy only in node-negative breast cancer patients had no negative impact on the axillary failure rate and resulted in negligible morbidity. J. Surg. Oncol. 2001;77:165–170.