Management of the Axilla After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Can Axillary Needle Biopsy Replace Sentinel Node Biopsy?

Management of the Axilla After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Can Axillary Needle Biopsy Replace Sentinel Node Biopsy?

Background

The study aimed to determine if axillary needle biopsy could effectively evaluate the axilla after treatment in breast cancer patients who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) without the need for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB).

Patients and Methods

The study included breast cancer patients with biopsy-proven axillary lymph node metastases who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients were divided into two groups and biopsy samples were obtained using fine needle aspiration (FNAB) in the first group and core needle biopsy (CNB) in the second group. The predictive ability of the two biopsy methods for SLNB results was evaluated.

Results

The study involved 50 female patients with breast cancer. Both FNAB and CNB showed high accuracy rates in evaluating the axilla after NAC. CNB demonstrated higher sensitivity and accuracy compared to FNAB.

Conclusion

Both CNB and FNAB have the potential to replace SLNB due to their high accuracy rates in evaluating the axilla after NAC. CNB was found to have higher sensitivity and accuracy compared to FNAB.

Value of the Study

This study suggests that axillary needle biopsy methods, particularly core needle biopsy, could offer accurate evaluation of the axilla after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, potentially replacing the need for sentinel lymph node biopsy. These findings could have practical implications for streamlining patient care and treatment decision-making in breast cancer management.

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