THE STUDY OF SENTINEL LYMPH NODE BIOPSY REPLACING AXILLARY LYMPH NODE DISSECTIOM IN CLINICALLY EARLY BREAST CANCER

Objective: To study the value of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in clinical node negative breast cancer. Methods: 423 patients treated with sentinel lymph nodes biopsy (SLNB) from September, 1999 to December 2002 in Shandong Cancer Hospital Institute were studied by Blue Dye and/or 99m Tc?labeled sulfur colloid. From December, 2001, 60 patients, with tumor less than 3 cm , were treated with SLNB instead of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Results: SLNB was successfully identified in 417 of 423 (98 2%) patients. The accuracy rate of SLNB to predict axillary lymph node status was 93 1%, with 16 5% false negative rate. The success rate, accuracy rate and false negative rate by blue dye and combined method were 98 1%, 91 4%, 21 3%, and 100%, 98 0%, 4 1%, respectively. The false negative rate in combined group is significantly lower than blue dye group only. In the 47 patients with negative SLNB, SLNB was performed instead of ALND. During the next eight month, no axillary relapse was found in these patients. Conclusions: SLNB could accurately predict the axillary status in clinical node negative breast cancer patients. The extent of axillary dissection was decreased significantly in SLNB group only, and a better outcome was obtained presently.