ABSTRACT
Since its introduction nearly 30 years ago, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has become the standard technique to stage the axilla for the great majority of patients with early breast cancer. While the accuracy of SLNB in clinically node-negative patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is similar to the upfront surgery setting, modifications of the technique to improve the false negative rate are necessary in node-positive patients at presentation. Currently, patients who present with matted nodes, cN1 patients who fail to downstage to cN0 with NAC and those with pathological residual disease have an indication to undergo axillary lymph node dissection. Ongoing trials will confirm if extensive nodal irradiation can replace surgery in patients with residual nodal disease after NAC and if nodal radiotherapy can be omitted in patients who achieve nodal pathological complete response. The aim of this review was to focus on the open questions on the management of the axilla after NAC.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms , Lymph Node Excision , Neoadjuvant Therapy/methods , Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy , Axilla , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Breast Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Breast Neoplasms/surgery , Clinical Trials as Topic , False Negative Reactions , Female , Humans , Lymph Node Excision/trends , Lymph Nodes/pathology , Lymphatic Irradiation , Lymphatic Metastasis , Neoplasm Staging , Neoplasm, Residual , Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy/trendsABSTRACT
Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer death in females worldwide. Rapid research advancements add to the complexity of treatment options for this disease. It is known that the quality of patients' care is deeply affected by healthcare professionals following these advancements. There is a growing need for academic education to increase clinical knowledge and skills of physicians treating BC patients. The certificate of Competence in Breast Cancer Program (CCB) is a Certificate in Advanced Studies (CAS) organized by the European School of Oncology in cooperation with Ulm University (Germany), which focuses on both the clinical and scientific competence required for improving quality in the management of BC patients. This paper describes the experience of the second CCB cohort (CCB2), which brought together 24 physicians from four continents who shared the common will to improve their competence and skills in BC treatment.
