Prospective non-randomized clinical study on sentinel lymph node biopsy substituting axillary lymph node dissection in patients with breast cancer

Objective To study the possibility of substituting axillary lymph node dissection by sentinel lymph node biopsy in operation of patients with early breast cancer.Methods Fifty two patients with T1-2N0M0 breast cancer had been examined with sentinel lymph node biopsy in this hospital since Jan.2006.Among them,25 patients with negative sentinel lymph node didn't receive axillary lymph node dissection,while 27 patinets with negative sentinel lymph node received axillary lymph node dissection after sentinel lymph node biopsy.Results The probability of occurring complications in patient group without receiving axillary lymph node dissection was lower than that of patient group received axillary lymph node dissection,and follow-up for 6 months to 5 years revealed that all patients were cured and no relapse occurred.Conclusion Sentinel lymph node biopsy can narrow the scope of operation and it may cut down the probability of complications.Sentinel lymph node biopsy can substitute axillary lymph node dissection.