Can axillary lymph node dissection be omitted in breast cancer patients with 1-2 positive sentinel nodes? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) has traditionally been recommended for breast cancer patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). Although omitting ALND is now widely accepted for patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with limited sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) involvement, based on trials such as Z0011, evidence for patients undergoing total mastectomy (TM) remains limited and conflicting. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether ALND can be safely omitted in TM patients with 1-2 positive SLNs by comparing survival outcomes between ALND and SLNB alone groups.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science (up to December 2024) identified 29 studies (6 randomized controlled trials and 23 observati

SUBMITTER: Xie J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12665607 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature