Keywords:
Performed at one institution, Observational, Prospective, Cancer, Staging, Biopsy, Ultrasound, Oncology, Lymph nodes, Breast
Authors:
A. Paraskevopoulou, I. Georgiou, N. Kritikos, K. Psarras, E. T. CHRISTODOULOPOULOU, S. Kattimeris, O. AGGELATOU; Athens/GR
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2020/C-04385
Purpose
Evaluation of axillary lymph node staging is an important prognostic indicator for patients with early stage breast cancer.Moreover preoperative assessment of axillary lymph nodes is crucial for surgical and treatment planning.
Over the last years Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy(SLNB) replaced complete lymphadenectomy and is now used as the gold standard technique for staging of the axilla.However SLNB is a complex laboratory technique and is accompanied by clinical complications such as lymphedema, sensitivity and mobility loss of ipsilateral upper limb and anaphylactic reactions.
Having similar specificity to sentinel lymph node histopathology, Ultrasound(US) - guided fine needle aspiration(FNA) of axillary lymph nodes has been investigated as an alternative in an effort to imply minimally invasive, cost effective and faster staging techniques. Although it presents low sensitivity making the application of the method controversial.
Ηaving widely applied the method in daily clinical practice the purpose of our study is
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To assess the usefulness of ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer staging, in correlation with primary tumor size and morphological lymph node characteristics.
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To optimize the results of the method, avoiding unnecessary sentinel lymph node biopsies in the preoperative stage.