Axillary treatment options in clinically nodes-positive breast cancer whose nodes become pathologically nodes-negative after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a pairwise and network meta-analysis

In patients with cN + BC who achieve ypN0 status after NAC, tailored axillary strategies yielded survival outcomes comparable to conventional approaches. SLNB ranked highest for OS in the NMA, supporting its role as an effective and less invasive option in appropriately selected patients. However, these findings are largely based on retrospective data. Prospective studies with long-term follow-up are needed for confirmation.