Management of the Axilla in the Patient with Breast Cancer

Ko Un Park; Abigail Caudle

doi:10.1016/j.suc.2018.04.001

Management of the Axilla in the Patient with Breast Cancer

Surg Clin North Am. 2018 Aug;98(4):747-760. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2018.04.001. Epub 2018 May 30.

Authors

Ko Un Park¹, Abigail Caudle²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 1434, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
² Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 1434, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: ascaudle@mdanderson.org.

PMID: 30005771
DOI: 10.1016/j.suc.2018.04.001

Abstract

Evaluation of the axillary lymph nodes is critical in the management of breast cancer because it is a key predictor of survival outcome. Surgeons must not only be able to perform sentinel lymph node dissection with high accuracy but also understand the implications of the results. Management of clinically node-negative and node-positive cases can vary significantly, as described in this review. With emerging data, management of the axilla in breast cancer will continue to evolve.

Keywords: Axillary lymphadenectomy; Breast cancer; Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; Nodal metastasis; Sentinel lymph node.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Axilla*
Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
Breast Neoplasms / therapy*
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
Female
Humans
Lymph Node Excision*
Mastectomy, Segmental
Neoadjuvant Therapy
Neoplasm Staging
Patient Selection