Research Journal of Medical Sciences
ISSN: Online 1993-6095ISSN: Print 1815-9346
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Abstract
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) has emerged as a less invasive alternative to Axillary Lymph Node Dissection (ALND) for staging early‐stage breast cancer, with potential benefits in reducing surgical morbidity. This study aims to compare the efficacy, postoperative morbidity and long‐term outcomes between SLNB and ALND. This retrospective cohort study included 20 patients diagnosed with early‐stage breast cancer who underwent either SLNB or ALND at a single institution. Ten patients underwent SLNB and ten underwent ALND. The efficacy of nodal staging, diagnostic accuracy, postoperative morbidity (including lymphedema and shoulder dysfunction) and long‐term outcomes (recurrence and survival rates) were evaluated and compared between the two groups. SLNB showed fewer positive nodes detected (n=3) compared to ALND (n=5), with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.5 (95% CI: 0.10‐2.48., P=0.38), indicating a lower but non‐significant difference in nodal detection. SLNB exhibited lower sensitivity (30%) but high specificity (80%), whereas ALND showed higher sensitivity (50%) and perfect specificity (100%). Postoperative morbidity was significantly lower in the SLNB group with only 1 case of lymphedema compared to 4 in the ALND group (OR=0.22., 95% CI: 0.02‐2.33., P=0.21) and less shoulder dysfunction. Long‐term follow‐up indicated no significant difference in recurrence rates (SLNB: 1, ALND: 2., OR=0.47., 95% CI: 0.05‐4.23., P=0.46) and a slightly higher 5‐year survival in the SLNB group (SLNB: 9, ALND: 7., OR=1.29., 95% CI: 0.16‐10.28., P=0.78). SLNB may offer a comparable efficacy to ALND in nodal staging with significantly reduced postoperative morbidity and similar long‐term outcomes. These findings suggest that SLNB could be considered a viable alternative to ALND in selected patients with early‐stage breast cancer, emphasizing the importance of patient selection and surgical expertise.
How to cite this article:
Nithin Tengli, Mallikarjun Deshmukh and Shivani Rampure. Comparative Study on the Efficacy of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Versus Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in Early‐Stage Breast Cancer.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/10.36478/makrjms.2024.10.234.239
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1815-9346/10.36478/makrjms.2024.10.234.239