The Impact of Prophylactic Axillary Node Dissection on Breast Cancer Survival?A Bayesian Meta-Analysis

Introduction. There has been recent interest in validity of completion axillary node dissection after a positive sentinel node. This systematic review aims to ascertain if sentinel lymph node dissection alone was noninferior to axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer patients who have a positive sentinel node.Method. A systematic review of the electronic databases Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials was carried out. Only randomised trials that had patients with positive sentinel node as the study sample were included in the meta-analysis using the reported hazard ratios with a fixed effect model.Results. Three randomised controlled trials and five retrospective studies were identified. The pooled effect for overall survival was HR 0.94, 95% CI [0.79, 1.19], and for disease free survival was HR 0.83, 95% CI [0.60, 1.14]. The reported rates for locoregional recurrence were similar in both groups. The surgical morbidity was found to be significantly more in patients who had underwent axillary dissection.Conclusion. Amongst patients with micrometastasis in the sentinel node, no further axillary dissection is necessary. For patients with macrometastasis in the sentinel node, it is reasonable to consider omitting axillary dissection to avoid the morbidity of the procedure.

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EP.TH.166Evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the practice of axillary node dissection

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab309.024 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_7) ◽

Author(s):

Grant Harris ◽

Alice Townend ◽

Madgi Youssef

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽

Sentinel Node ◽

Axillary Node ◽

Axillary Node Dissection ◽

Delayed Presentation ◽

Positive Sentinel Node ◽

Node Dissection ◽

Node Positive ◽

The Impact

Abstract Aims The Association of Breast Surgery's "COVID-altered" guidance for management of breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, includes that neoadjuvant chemotherapy was only to be used only in inoperable disease and not to downstage the axilla. Delayed presentation with increased nodal involvement was also a concern. We aim to establish if axillary node dissection (AND) increased in the context of pandemic. Methods Patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer were identified from theatre coding in a UK breast unit. Pre-COVID (March 2018 - February 2020) and COVID pandemic (March - September 2020) cohorts were compared. Indication, tumour receptor status, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and deviation from routine practice were ascertained for those undergoing AND. Trust Caldicott and audit department approval was obtained for this retrospective review of practice. Results AND was performed in 20.2% (23/114) of breast cancer operations during the pandemic compared with 18.97% (78/411) pre-COVID. Indication for AND during the pandemic and pre-COVID respectively - clinically node positive 82.6%/79.4%; positive sentinel node biopsy 4.3%/17.9%; recurrence or metastases from contralateral cancer 13%/2.5%. NAC preceded AND in 30% of cases in both cohorts. NAC for one node positive HER2+ cancer was omitted due to the pandemic and another patient had adjuvant chemotherapy omitted for a HER2+ cancer with a single positive sentinel node mandating an AND which yielded no further positive nodes. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has not significantly impacted rates of AND in our practice. However, we identified 2 patients who may have avoided AND with normal chemotherapy protocols.

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