Prophylactic Mastectomy in Patients at High Risk: Is There a Role for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy?

CONCLUSION: Although a minimally invasive procedure, the utility of SLNB in patients with absent or contralateral early disease is limited. Advanced T stage, multicentricity, or receptor status on the therapeutic side or a finding of in situ or atypical hyperplasia in prophylactic breast specimen yielded no positive SLN. Routine SLNB in pure bilateral PM can safely be omitted, which reduces axillary morbidity and operative time and/or cost. Selective use of SLNB for contralateral recurrent and/or locally advanced cancers warrants further investigation. PMID: 23357305 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Clinical Breast Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Clin Breast Cancer Source Type: research