Management of the axilla.

The development and wide acceptance of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has profoundly affected the management of breast cancer. SLNB has spared the additional morbidity of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) without compromising diagnostic accuracy and prognostic information in patients with clinically node-negative early-stage breast cancer. It has become an invaluable tool to clinicians to guide decisions regarding adjuvant treatment. The management of breast cancer continues to advance to more minimally invasive approaches, and the role of ALND is likely to become less important in the future.