Is Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection Warranted for Patients with a Diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ?

Background: Positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) findings in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) range from 1 to 22 % but have unknown biologic significance. This study sought to identify predictors of positive SLNs and to assess their clinical significance for patients with an initial diagnosis of DCIS.

Methods: The study identified 1234 patients with an initial diagnosis of DCIS who underwent SLN dissection (SLND) at our institution from 1997 through 2011.

Evaluation of a breast cancer nomogram for predicting risk of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrences in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ after local excision.

Purpose: Prediction of patients at highest risk for ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) after local excision of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains a clinical concern. The aim of our study was to evaluate a published nomogram from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to predict for risk of IBTR in patients with DCIS from our institution.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively identified 794 patients with a diagnosis of DCIS who had undergone local excision from 1990 through 2007 at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC).

Novel staging system for predicting disease-specific survival in patients with breast cancer treated with surgery as the first intervention: time to modify the current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system.

Purpose: American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging is used to determine breast cancer prognosis, yet patient survival within each stage shows wide variation. We hypothesized that differences in biology influence this variation and that addition of biologic markers to AJCC staging improves determination of prognosis.

Patients And Methods: We identified a cohort of 3,728 patients who underwent surgery as the first intervention between 1997 and 2006.