Association between Number of Retrieved Sentinel Lymph Nodes and Breast Cancer-related Lymphedema
Hong Kyu Kim, Young Wook Ju, Jun Woo Lee, Kyoung-Eun Kim, Ji Gwang Jung, Yumi Kim, Han‐Byoel Lee, Hyeong‐Gon Moon, Dong‐Young Noh, Kwan Sik Seo, Wonshik Han
Abstract
PURPOSE: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has become a standard axillary staging surgery for early breast cancer, and the proportion of patients requiring axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is decreasing. We aimed to evaluate the association between the number of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) retrieved and the risk of lymphedema of the ipsilateral arm. METHODS: Prospectively collected medical records of 910 patients were reviewed. Lymphedema was defined as a difference in circumference > 2 cm compared to the contralateral arm and/or having clinical records of lymphedema treatment in the rehabilitation clinic. RESULTS: =0.111). CONCLUSION: The risk of lymphedema in breast cancer surgery and adjuvant treatments is multifactorial. The number of retrieved lymph nodes during sentinel biopsy was not associated with the incidence of lymphedema.