Management of the Axilla in the Patient with Breast Cancer.

Evaluation of the axillary lymph nodes is critical in the management of breast cancer because it is a key predictor of survival outcome. Surgeons must not only be able to perform sentinel lymph node dissection with high accuracy but also understand the implications of the results. Management of clinically node-negative and node-positive cases can vary significantly, as described in this review. With emerging data, management of the axilla in breast cancer will continue to evolve.