Although most patients with breast cancer have clinically negative axillary nodes at preoperative assessment, 15–20% of these women will have metastatic disease within the lymph nodes at operative sentinel node biopsy. The authors discuss the evidence base for management of the axilla after detection of a positive sentinel node, discuss why micrometastatic disease requires systemic but not axillary therapy, and describe data indicating that axillary irradiation gives equivalent control to axillary node clearance, with less morbidity.
- Nigel J. Bundred
- Nicola L. P. Barnes
- Mila Donker
