Evaluation of Targetive Axillary Dissection in Node Positive Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Patients with Complete Pathological Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate targeted axillary dissection (TAD) in node locally advanced node positive breast cancer patients with complete pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods This is a prospective cohort study including twenty-five females diagnosed with locally advanced breast cancer with proven lymph node involvement who had complete pathological response to the neoadjuvant chemotherapy regarding the clipped previously involved lymph node. Lymph node biopsy and frozen section of the clipped lymph node after wire localization and the sentinel lymph node after patent blue dye injection was done. This is followed by paraffin section examination of the lymph node biopsy and 6 months follow-up for the patients. Results Twenty-four patients out of twenty-five patients had successful localization of the clipped and sentinel lymph node with no macro-metastasis detected in frozen section. Twenty-two out of the twenty-four patients had no micro-metastasis in paraffin section. Two of the twenty-four patients had micro-metastasis on paraffin section and required axillary radiotherapy. One of the twenty-five patients failed localization of the clipped lymph node and received conventional axillary lymph node dissection. Two patients developed lymphoedema, one of them after axillary radiotherapy and the other one after axillary lymph node dissection. Conclusion The combination of TAD and SLNB can replace Axillary clearance in patients with node positive Locally advanced breast cancer with complete pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.