Lucie Lukesova1, David Vrana2,3,4, Ivan Svach5, Nora Zlamalova5, Jiri Gatek6,7, Zuzana Vlachová1, Marcel Matzenauer1, Pavel Koranda8, Klara Hruzova1, Tomas Tichy9, Bohuslav Melichar1,3. 1. Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. 2. Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic davvrana@gmail.com. 3. Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. 4. Toxicogenomics Unit, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic. 5. Department of Surgery I, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. 6. Department of Surgery, Atlas Hospital, Zlín, Czech Republic. 7. Faculty of Humanities, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Zlin Czech Republic. 8. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. 9. Department of Clinical and Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The management of internal mammary nodes (IMNs) during multidisciplinary treatment of breast cancer has been debated for the last four decades without unequivocal conclusion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with breast cancer who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy at our center from 2008 until 2012. IMN drainage was assessed as a potential risk factor for local and distant disease recurrence. RESULTS: We identified 712 patients, with incidence of drainage to IMNs of 18.4%. No detrimental effect of the pattern of drainage to IMNs was found after a median follow-up of 58 months. A similar outcome was observed when drainage to IMNs was evaluated as a risk factor for patient survival. The potential risk factors for drainage to IMNs during sentinel lymph node biopsy were younger age (p=0.002) and tumor location in lower-outer, lower-inner, and upper-inner versus upper-outer quadrant (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The drainage to IMNs is unlikely to have a detrimental effect on patient outcome. Copyright
BACKGROUND: The management of internal mammary nodes (IMNs) during multidisciplinary treatment of breast cancer has been debated for the last four decades without unequivocal conclusion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with breast cancer who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy at our center from 2008 until 2012. IMN drainage was assessed as a potential risk factor for local and distant disease recurrence. RESULTS: We identified 712 patients, with incidence of drainage to IMNs of 18.4%. No detrimental effect of the pattern of drainage to IMNs was found after a median follow-up of 58 months. A similar outcome was observed when drainage to IMNs was evaluated as a risk factor for patient survival. The potential risk factors for drainage to IMNs during sentinel lymph node biopsy were younger age (p=0.002) and tumor location in lower-outer, lower-inner, and upper-inner versus upper-outer quadrant (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The drainage to IMNs is unlikely to have a detrimental effect on patient outcome. Copyright