BACKGROUND: It is essential to have the highest level of confidence in axillary staging assessment. Many surgeons and pathologists believe that fewer lymph nodes are present in axillary dissection specimens of women treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to compare the lymph node counts of axillary dissection specimens from patients having received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with those of patients treated with primary operation. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of a prospective database from our institution identified 283 women with invasive breast cancer who underwent level I and II axillary lymph node dissections. Women from the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group (n=107) were compared with those from the primary surgery group (n=176). The total number of lymph nodes harvested was considered as a continuous variable, but also dichotomized into two categories (< 10 and >or=10). Its correlation with the different variables was analyzed. RESULTS: The median number of lymph nodes retrieved in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group was 10.0 (range 0 to 38) compared with 12.5 (range 0 to 30) in the control group (p=0.002). There were also significantly more patients with fewer than 10 lymph nodes recovered in the neoadjuvant group (45 versus 28%, p=0.007). Logistic regression showed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy was the only factor associated with retrieval of fewer than 10 lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to breast cancer patients results in a reduced number of lymph nodes retrieved in the axillary dissection specimens.
BACKGROUND: It is essential to have the highest level of confidence in axillary staging assessment. Many surgeons and pathologists believe that fewer lymph nodes are present in axillary dissection specimens of women treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to compare the lymph node counts of axillary dissection specimens from patients having received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with those of patients treated with primary operation. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of a prospective database from our institution identified 283 women with invasive breast cancer who underwent level I and II axillary lymph node dissections. Women from the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group (n=107) were compared with those from the primary surgery group (n=176). The total number of lymph nodes harvested was considered as a continuous variable, but also dichotomized into two categories (< 10 and >or=10). Its correlation with the different variables was analyzed. RESULTS: The median number of lymph nodes retrieved in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group was 10.0 (range 0 to 38) compared with 12.5 (range 0 to 30) in the control group (p=0.002). There were also significantly more patients with fewer than 10 lymph nodes recovered in the neoadjuvant group (45 versus 28%, p=0.007). Logistic regression showed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy was the only factor associated with retrieval of fewer than 10 lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to breast cancerpatients results in a reduced number of lymph nodes retrieved in the axillary dissection specimens.
Authors: Elena Provenzano; Veerle Bossuyt; Giuseppe Viale; David Cameron; Sunil Badve; Carsten Denkert; Gaëtan MacGrogan; Frédérique Penault-Llorca; Judy Boughey; Giuseppe Curigliano; J Michael Dixon; Laura Esserman; Gerd Fastner; Thorsten Kuehn; Florentia Peintinger; Gunter von Minckwitz; Julia White; Wei Yang; W Fraser Symmans Journal: Mod Pathol Date: 2015-07-24 Impact factor: 7.842
Authors: Omobolaji O Ayandipo; Gabriel O Ogun; Olalekan J Adepoju; Ebenezer O Fatunla; Adefemi O Afolabi; Peter C Osuala; Temidayo O Ogundiran Journal: Ecancermedicalscience Date: 2020-08-05
Authors: Bala Basak Oven Ustaalioglu; Mahmut Gumus; Ahmet Bilici; Mesut Seker; Faysal Dane; Taflan Salepci; Tarik Salman; Mehmet Aliustaoglu; Mehmet Eser; Cem Gezen; Mustafa Yaylaci; Nazim Serdar Turhal Journal: Med Oncol Date: 2009-06-02 Impact factor: 3.064
Authors: Ryan K Schmocker; Holly Caretta-Weyer; Jennifer M Weiss; Katie Ronk; Jeffrey Havlena; Noelle K Loconte; Marquita Decker; Maureen A Smith; Caprice C Greenberg; Heather B Neuman Journal: J Surg Oncol Date: 2014-03-18 Impact factor: 3.454
Authors: Thalia Erbes; Marzenna Orlowska-Volk; Axel Zur Hausen; Gerta Rücker; Sebastian Mayer; Matthias Voigt; Juliane Farthmann; Severine Iborra; Marc Hirschfeld; Philipp T Meyer; Gerald Gitsch; Elmar Stickeler Journal: BMC Cancer Date: 2014-01-03 Impact factor: 4.430
Authors: Linda Zetterlund; Fuat Celebioglu; Rimma Axelsson; Jana de Boniface; Jan Frisell Journal: Breast Cancer Res Treat Date: 2017-02-17 Impact factor: 4.872