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.

Use of lymphoscintigraphy defines lymphatic drainage patterns before sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer.

Background: Lymphoscintigraphy (LSG) can identify lymphatic drainage patterns before sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is performed in patients with early-stage breast cancer, but the importance of extraaxillary SLNs seen on LSG is unknown. We assessed whether drainage patterns seen on LSG were associated with histologic findings in axillary SLNs recovered at SLN biopsy.

Study Design: From a prospectively maintained database, we identified 1,201 clinically node-negative patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent preoperative LSG and axillary SLN biopsy.