Factors Associated With Additional Axillary Disease in Patients With Positive Sentinel Lymph Nodes After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Abstract

Background: In previous studies, breast cancer patients with positive sentinel lymph node(s) (SLN) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) frequently had additional nonSLN involvement. Per guidelines, residual SLN disease warrants completion axillary lymph node dissection (cALND), which has increased morbidity. Given recent improvements in NAC, we hypothesized that nonSLN positivity may be lower than previously reported for certain subgroups.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed breast cancer patients who received NAC and had positive lymph nodes on SLN biopsy or targeted axillary dissection and underwent cALND at one institution in 1/2018-8/2023. Associations between nonSLN positivity and clinicopathologic factors were assessed with Fisher’s exact test and multivariable logistic regression.

Results: There were 122 female patients. Median age was 48 years. Initially, 15 patients (12.3%) were cN0 and 107 patients (87.7%) were cN1. Largest SLN deposit was macrometastasis in 96 patients (78.7%), micrometastasis in 23 patients (18.9%), and isolated tumor cells in 3 patients (2.5%). Overall, 53 patients (43.4%) had nonSLN involvement. NonSLN positivity was higher in patients with cN1, ER+ HER2-, ypT2-3, SLN macrometastasis, and multiple positive SLN. On multivariable analysis, cN1 and ER+ HER2- remained associated with nonSLN positivity.

Discussion: Among patients with positive SLN after NAC, clinically node positive and ER+ HER2- patients were more likely to have nonSLN involvement. Our findings support guidelines to consider omitting cALND in clinically node negative patients. With improving NAC, optimal axillary sampling, and radiation, omitting cALND may be safe in some clinically node positive triple negative or HER2+ patients with low volume residual disease, but further research is needed.

Graphical Abstract