Significance and management of micrometastases in patients with breast cancer.

The routine use of sentinel lymph node biopsy in the care of patients with invasive breast cancer has led to an increase in the identification of micrometastases in the axillary lymph nodes. Currently, the clinical relevance of this small-volume disease is debated. This article reviews the most current literature with respect to detection of micrometastases and isolated tumor cells in sentinel lymph nodes, the prognostic significance of these findings, and recommendations for locoregional and systemic treatment.