Trends, survival and regional control of sentinel lymph node biopsy versus axillary dissection in cN0 breast cancer: a multicenter cohort in China - Scorecard - MDSpire

Trends, survival and regional control of sentinel lymph node biopsy versus axillary dissection in cN0 breast cancer: a multicenter cohort in China

  • By

  • Jiang Wu

  • Jiahui Xiang

  • Dongxu Ma

  • Heng Cao

  • Zizhao Guo

  • Lin Cong

  • Ruijie Zhou

  • Xinke Shi

  • Yuchen Liu

  • Yansong Huang

  • Jiaqi Liu

  • Xiang Wang

  • June 24, 2026

  • 0 min

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Clinical Scorecard: Regional Control, Survival Outcomes, and Trends in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Compared to Axillary Dissection for cN0 Breast Cancer: Insights from a Multicenter Study in China

At a Glance

CategoryDetail
ConditionBreast Cancer
Key MechanismsSentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) versus axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) for axillary management.
Target PopulationFemale patients with cN0, pT1-3, pN0–1 breast cancer.
Care SettingMulticenter hospital-based retrospective cohort study.

Key Highlights

  • SLNB use increased significantly from 18.8% to 75.3% in pN0 patients.
  • In pN1 patients, SLNB was associated with a higher 5-year regional nodal recurrence after breast-conserving surgery.
  • 5-year regional nodal recurrence rates were similar between SLNB and ALND in mastectomy cohorts.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

  • SLNB is recommended for cT1-2N0 tumors.
  • SLNB may be offered for cT3–4 disease with clinically negative axilla (low-certainty recommendation).

Management

  • ALND can be safely omitted in selected patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery.

Monitoring & Follow-up

  • Adjuvant management should be guideline-concordant to maintain regional control when ALND is omitted.

Risks

  • Higher risk of regional nodal recurrence associated with SLNB in pN1 patients treated with breast-conserving surgery.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Women aged 18-85 years with primary breast cancer.

Real-world evidence supports SLNB as an effective alternative to ALND for selected patients.

Clinical Best Practices

  • Utilize SLNB for axillary staging in clinically node-negative breast cancer.
  • Consider patient-specific factors such as tumor characteristics when deciding between SLNB and ALND.

Related Resources & Content

Original Source(s)

Trends, survival and regional control of sentinel lymph node biopsy versus axillary dissection in cN0 breast cancer: a multicenter cohort in China

  • by Jiang Wu, Jiahui Xiang, Dongxu Ma, Heng Cao, Zizhao Guo, Lin Cong, Ruijie Zhou, Xinke Shi, Yuchen Liu, Yansong Huang, Jiaqi Liu, Xiang Wang

  • June 24, 2026

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