Sentinel nodes outside level I-II of the axilla and staging in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of sentinel nodes and sentinel node metastases outside levels I-II of the axilla in breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Altogether 170 breast cancer patients with 172 clinically node-negative T1-T2 tumours underwent lymphoscintigraphy and were included in a prospective study.

RESULTS

The lymphoscintigraphy showed sentinel node(s) in the axilla in 150 (87%) breast cancer cases. Thirty (17%) patients had sentinel nodes outside the axilla. Lymphatic drainage solely outside the axilla was encountered in two patients. Lymph node metastases were found in the axilla in 40% and outside the axilla in 17% of the 30 patients with extra-axillary sentinel nodes. Two patients with sentinel node metastases outside the axilla had no axillary metastases.

CONCLUSION

The biopsy of sentinel nodes outside the axilla is a potential tool for more accurate staging in breast cancer, since it provides additional information as compared to axillary staging alone.