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Feasibility of sentinel node biopsy for breast cancer after neoadjuvant endocrine therapy: A pilot study
Author(s) -
Aihara Tomohiko,
Munakata Satoru,
Morino Hideo,
Takatsuka Yuichi
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.20010
Subject(s) - medicine , sentinel node , neoadjuvant therapy , breast cancer , biopsy , oncology , endocrine system , cancer , hormone
Background and Objectives Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is used for evaluation of axillary lymph node status of patients with breast cancer. The usefulness of SNB after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not established. In addition, SNB after endocrine therapy has rarely been evaluated. We assessed the feasibility of dye guided SNB after neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in comparison with those of SNB after chemotherapy. Methods A total of 36 patients subjected to SNB after endocrine therapy alone (n = 16) (tamoxifen, anastrozole or combination of goserelin and tamoxifen) or after chemotherapy (n = 20) (anthracycline and/or taxane) were included. SNB was performed with indigocarmine dye prior to the wide resection of the tumor or mastectomy. Results Sentinel nodes were successfully identified in 100% (16/16) of patients after endocrine therapy and in 85% (17/20) of patients after chemotherapy. The mean number of harvested sentinel nodes was 2.2 after endocrine therapy and 1.8 after chemotherapy. There was no false negative case after endocrine therapy and there was one false negative case after chemotherapy (8% of overall false negative rate). Conclusions SNB seemed feasible and accurate after neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in patients with breast cancer. J. Surg. Oncol. 2004;85:77–81. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.