Feasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Abstract Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) omission improves quality of life but is only considered under certain conditions. We investigated expanding these conditions in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer. We retrospectively revie...

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Main Authors: Ee Jin Kim, Tae Kyung Yoo, Jisun Kim, Il Yong Chung, Beom Seok Ko, Hee Jeong Kim, Jong Won Lee, Byung Ho Son, Sae Byul Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84841-y
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author Ee Jin Kim
Tae Kyung Yoo
Jisun Kim
Il Yong Chung
Beom Seok Ko
Hee Jeong Kim
Jong Won Lee
Byung Ho Son
Sae Byul Lee
author_facet Ee Jin Kim
Tae Kyung Yoo
Jisun Kim
Il Yong Chung
Beom Seok Ko
Hee Jeong Kim
Jong Won Lee
Byung Ho Son
Sae Byul Lee
author_sort Ee Jin Kim
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) omission improves quality of life but is only considered under certain conditions. We investigated expanding these conditions in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer. We retrospectively reviewed data of 1346 patients with clinical N2–3, M0, who underwent surgical resection (sentinel lymph node biopsy [SLNB] only, or level I–II ALND with/without SLNB) following NAC from January 2008 to December 2021. Univariate and multivariate analyses of overall (OS), disease-free (DFS), regional recurrence-free (RFS), and axillary recurrence-free survival (ARFS) were performed before and after propensity score matching (PSM) to control for confounding factors. Of the total patients, 521 (37.5%) achieved an axillary pathological complete response (ypN0). Of these, 293 (56.2%) underwent SLNB only. The median OS was 52.7 months. After PSM, SLNB-only and ALND groups showed no significant differences in ARFS (long-rank p = 0.765), RFS (long-rank p = 0.764), DFS (long-rank p = 0.186), and OS (long-rank p = 0.760). The 5-year ARFS (97.3 vs. 96.7%) and OS (97.7 vs. 97.3%) of both groups did not differ significantly. ALND omission after NAC in clinical N2-3, pathological N0 patients was not inferior to ALND,. Clinical N2-3 patients achieving ypN0 following NAC may be safely treated with SLNB alone.
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spelling doaj-art-8d291c8199df4e85a5529d16504078b02025-08-20T03:04:50ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-0115111010.1038/s41598-024-84841-yFeasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapyEe Jin Kim0Tae Kyung Yoo1Jisun Kim2Il Yong Chung3Beom Seok Ko4Hee Jeong Kim5Jong Won Lee6Byung Ho Son7Sae Byul Lee8Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical CenterDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical CenterDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical CenterDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical CenterDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical CenterDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical CenterDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical CenterDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical CenterDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical CenterAbstract Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) omission improves quality of life but is only considered under certain conditions. We investigated expanding these conditions in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer. We retrospectively reviewed data of 1346 patients with clinical N2–3, M0, who underwent surgical resection (sentinel lymph node biopsy [SLNB] only, or level I–II ALND with/without SLNB) following NAC from January 2008 to December 2021. Univariate and multivariate analyses of overall (OS), disease-free (DFS), regional recurrence-free (RFS), and axillary recurrence-free survival (ARFS) were performed before and after propensity score matching (PSM) to control for confounding factors. Of the total patients, 521 (37.5%) achieved an axillary pathological complete response (ypN0). Of these, 293 (56.2%) underwent SLNB only. The median OS was 52.7 months. After PSM, SLNB-only and ALND groups showed no significant differences in ARFS (long-rank p = 0.765), RFS (long-rank p = 0.764), DFS (long-rank p = 0.186), and OS (long-rank p = 0.760). The 5-year ARFS (97.3 vs. 96.7%) and OS (97.7 vs. 97.3%) of both groups did not differ significantly. ALND omission after NAC in clinical N2-3, pathological N0 patients was not inferior to ALND,. Clinical N2-3 patients achieving ypN0 following NAC may be safely treated with SLNB alone.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84841-yBreast cancerNeoadjuvant chemotherapyAxillary lymph node dissectionSentinel lymph node biopsyClinical N2-3ALND omission
spellingShingle Ee Jin Kim
Tae Kyung Yoo
Jisun Kim
Il Yong Chung
Beom Seok Ko
Hee Jeong Kim
Jong Won Lee
Byung Ho Son
Sae Byul Lee
Feasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Scientific Reports
Breast cancer
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Axillary lymph node dissection
Sentinel lymph node biopsy
Clinical N2-3
ALND omission
title Feasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
title_full Feasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
title_fullStr Feasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
title_full_unstemmed Feasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
title_short Feasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
title_sort feasibility of de escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical n2 3 pathological n0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
topic Breast cancer
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Axillary lymph node dissection
Sentinel lymph node biopsy
Clinical N2-3
ALND omission
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84841-y
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