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Pride RM, Glass CC, Nakhlis F, Laws A, Weiss AC, Bellon JR, Mittendorf EA, King TA, Kantor O. Intraoperative Pathology Assessment May Lead to Overtreatment of the Axilla in Clinically Node-Negative Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Upfront Mastectomy. Ann Surg Oncol 2023; 30:5978-5987. [PMID: 37436607 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-13898-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Randomized trials have established the safety of observation or axillary radiation (AxRT) as an alternative to axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in patients with limited nodal disease who undergo upfront surgery. Variability remains in axillary management strategies in cN0 patients undergoing mastectomy found to have one to two positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). We examined the impact of intraoperative pathology assessment in axillary management in a national cohort of AMAROS-eligible mastectomy patients. METHODS The National Cancer Database was used to identify AMAROS-eligible cT1-2N0 breast cancer patients undergoing upfront mastectomy and SLN biopsy (SLNB) and found to have one to two positive SLNs, from 2018 to 2019. We constructed a variable defining intraoperative pathology as 'not performed/not acted on' if ALND was either not performed or performed at a later date than SLNB, or 'performed/acted on' if SLNB and ALND were completed on the same day. Adjusted multivariable analysis examined predictors of treatment with both ALND and AxRT. RESULTS Overall, 8222 patients with cT1-2N0 disease underwent upfront mastectomy and had one to two positive SLNs. Intraoperative pathology was performed/acted on in 3057 (37.2%) patients. These patients were significantly more likely to have both ALND and AxRT than those without intraoperative pathology (41.0% vs. 4.9%; p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, the strongest predictor of receiving both ALND and AxRT was use of intraoperative pathology (odds ratio 8.99, 95% confidence interval 7.70-10.5; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS We advocate that consideration should be made for omission of routine intraoperative pathology in mastectomy patients likely to be recommended postmastectomy radiation to minimize axillary overtreatment with both ALND and AxRT in appropriate patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Pride
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charity C Glass
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Faina Nakhlis
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alison Laws
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna C Weiss
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer R Bellon
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Mittendorf
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tari A King
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Olga Kantor
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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