Patients’ Choice on Axillary Lymph Node Dissection Following Sentinel Lymph Node Micrometastasis — First Report on Prospective Use of a Nomogram in Very Low Risk Patients

Abstract

The optimal locoregional treatment of patients diagnosed with sentinel node (SN) micrometastasis is controversial. A previously reported and validated nomogram was used to calculate the risk of non-SN metastasis in patients with SN micrometastasis over a period of 2years. Patients were given detailed information about the risk, consequences and treatment options of non-SN involvement, the risk and potential complications of unnecessary completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), the imperfectness of the nomogram, and other factors that may influence their selection of further treatment. They also received a questionnaire to monitor factors influencing their decisions. Of the 25 patients participating in the study, 10 have opted for ALND. The only factor that seemed to influence their choice was fear from disease recurrence. Giving detailed information to SN micrometastatic patients is a patient-centered alternative to current recommendations on performing ALND in all such patients or omitting ALND in all of them.