This article reports the outcomes of a study recently published in JAMA which determined the overall survival of breast cancer patients with sentinel lymph node metastases with either sentinel lymph node dissection (SNLD) or with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The clinical trial was conducted by the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG). Study Background For more than 100 years, the extent of breast cancer is believed to be spread via the lymphatic system and thus cured by the resection.
Hence, breast cancer biology is considered as a major risk determinant in both systematic and locoregional recurrence. For many years ALND has been considered as an effective method of achieving regional control but it is associated with higher complications such as lymphedema, numbness, axillary web syndrome, and restricted upper body movement. However, changes in the disease…
