Evaluating the Necessity for Routine Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Postmenopausal Patients Being Treated for Clinically Node Negative Breast Cancer the Era of RxPONDER.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Traditionally, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was performed to inform adjuvant chemotherapy prescription and prognosis in breast cancer. Following RxPONDER, the OncotypeDX Recurrence Score (RS) guides adjuvant chemotherapy prescription for all postmenopausal patients with estrogen receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative (ER+/HER2-) breast cancer with 0 to 3 positive lymph nodes (0-3 + LN). AIMS: To establish the oncological safety of omitting SLNB in postmenopausal patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer indicated to undergo SLNB and to evaluate the primary determinants of chemotherapy prescription for these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was undertaken. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed. Data analytics was performed using SPSS v26.0. RESULTS: Five hundred and seventy five consecutive patients were included (mean age 66.5 years, range 45-96). The median follow-up was 97.2 months (range 3.0-181.6). Of the 575 patients, just 12 patients had positive SLNB (SLNB+) (2.1%). Using Kaplan-Meier analyses, SLNB+ failed to impact recurrence (P = .766) or mortality (P = .310). However, using Cox regression analyses, SLNB+ independently predicted poorer disease-free survival (hazard ratio 1.001, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.000-1.001, P = .029). Logistic regression analysis identified RS as the sole predictor of chemotherapy prescription (odds ratio 1.171, 95% CI 1.097-1.250, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Omitting SLNB may be safe and justifiable in postmenopausal patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer with clinically negative axillae. Following RxPONDER, RS is the most important guide of chemotherapy use in these patients and SLNB may be less important than previously perceived. Prospective, randomized clinical trials are required to fully establish the oncological safety of omitting SLNB in this setting.