Number of metastatic sentinel nodes as predictor of axillary involvement in patients with breast cancer.

Background And Objectives: More than half of patients with positive sentinel node (SN) have no metastases in non-sentinel nodes (NSNs) on axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The aim of this study was to investigate factors predictive of NSNs involvement, in order to identify patients with metastatic disease confined to the SN which might avoid ALND.

Methods: ALND was performed in 167 patients with metastatic SN.