Dose sentinel lymph node biopsy [SLNB] reduce the necessary of axillary lymph node dissection [ALND] in female breast cancer?

ABSTRACT

From Sept.2002 to Sept 2003, all cases of female breast masses attended at surgical clinic, Al Zahraa university Hospital Al-Azhar uni. were subjected in this study. 200 cases were subjected in this study, of them 27 cases were diagnosed as breast cancer the rest of cases were excluded [173 cases] as they were diagnosed as benign breast diseases. All cases were underwent to thorough careful history, perfect examination and different investigatory tools [ultrasonography, mammography and FNAC], open excisional biopsy was the last resort and technique for diagnosis which revealed positive for cancer in only 27 cases those later on subjected in the present study to determine the status of SLN[sorguis node] after injection of blue dye and axillary dissection with axcision of this node with staining it either with H and E or with cytokeratin [IHC stain]. all positive cases [20 cases with SLNB underwent immediately to simple mastectomy and axillary clearance, while those of negative SLNS [7 cases] reprepared for straining with cytokeratin IHC stain which revealed positive malignant cells in 3 cases of seven. The results encourage the surgeons who interested in breast surgery to use this recent technique to reduce the necessary of axillaty dissection in breast cancer, this dissection may disturbe immune status of the patient as well as associated with complications such as arm oedeina and nerve injury as well as vascullar injury to the great vessles in the axilla