Sentinel-Lymph-Node Biopsy in Early-Stage Breast Cancer — Is It Obsolete?

Mené sur 5 502 patientes atteintes d'un cancer du sein sans atteinte ganglionnaire de stade T1 ou T2 (durée médiane de suivi : 73,6 mois), cet essai randomisé évalue la non-infériorité, du point de vue de la survie sans maladie invasive, de l'omission de la chirurgie axillaire par rapport à une biopsie du ganglion sentinelle

Résumé en anglais

The role of axillary surgery in the management of breast cancer has changed. Sentinel-lymph-node biopsy is used to identify nodal metastases, but recognition of the lack of therapeutic benefit of this approach, coupled with the emphasis on tumor biology for decisions about systemic therapy, has led to trials examining the elimination of sentinel-lymph-node biopsy in early-stage breast cancer. Two trials involving clinically node-negative patients with breast cancer treated without axillary surgery have now provided outcome data: Reimer et al. present in the Journal results from the INSEMA (Intergroup Sentinel Mamma) trial,1 and data from the SOUND (Sentinel Node versus Observation . . .