Omitting axillary lymph node dissection in breast cancer patients with extensive nodal disease and excellent response to primary systemic therapy using the MARI protocol.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Axillary lymph node staging techniques after primary systemic therapy (PST) show low false negative rates, stimulating the omission of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Breast cancer patients with extensive nodal disease are underreported in studies on response-guided axillary treatment. In this study, we present the oncologic outcome of breast cancer patients with ≥4 involved axillary lymph nodes treated according to the MARI-protocol.

Methods

This prospective single arm registration study included breast cancer patients with extensive nodal disease defined as ≥4 involved axillary lymph nodes on FDG-PET/CT pre-PST between July 2014 and December 2021. After PST, the marked (MARI) lymph node was excised. Patients with a pathologic complete response (pCR) of the M

SUBMITTER: van Hemert AKE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11872389 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature