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BACKGROUND: Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) with or without postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) was traditionally the standard of care for patients with a positive sentinel node following mastectomy. However, recent clinical trial data has led to an interest in de-escalating therapy and a debate over optimal axillary management. We sought to assess current practice patterns and the impact of different approaches to managing positive sentinel nodes following mastectomy. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), patients with clinical T1-2 N0 M0 breast cancer from 2012-2015 treated with a mastectomy who were found to have a single positive sentinel node were analyzed. A logistic regression model stratified by patients’ characteristics in association to the type of axillary treatment received was performed.RESULTS: We identified 12,137 women with a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) at the time of mastectomy. Of these, 4,221 had an ALND; 1,609 received PMRT; 1,565 underwent combination therapy, and 4,742 had no further treatment following SLNB (NFT). Factors associated with an increased likelihood of further axillary treatment included younger age (CONCLUSION: Our study indicates significant practice variation in the axillary management of patients with metastasis limited to a single sentinel node undergoing mastectomy. The clinical variation observed raises the possibility of unnecessary or overtreatment of the axilla. These findings suggest a need to expand the adoption of evidenced-based clinical protocols to improve quality of care. |
