Preoperative axillary imaging with percutaneous lymph node biopsy is valuable in the contemporary management of patients with breast cancer

Background: ACOSOG Z11 and other studies showing little benefit to axillary dissection (ALND) for early-stage breast cancers with limited nodal disease have led to questioning the value of preoperative axillary imaging ± ultrasound-guided needle biopsy (USNB). Data are lacking on the value of this approach in identifying cases that fall outside Z11 guidelines.

Methods: We studied 988 consecutive patients with invasive breast cancers who underwent operation including axillary surgery in 2010-2011.

Results: Preoperative axillary ultrasonography (AUS) was performed in 92% and breast/axillary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 51%; 82 (33.5%) of 245 patients with suspicious lymph nodes (LN) were USNB-positive. Regarding nodal status, AUS, MRI, and USNB had negative and positive predictive values of 78%, 76%, 70% and 54%, 58%, 100%, respectively. AUS/MRI visualization of one versus multiple abnormal LNs visualized predicted >2LN+ on final pathology (13.5%/15.1% % vs 30.8%/32.6%, P < .009). Among USNB-LN+ T1/T2 patients, 51.6% had 1-2 LN+ while 60% with multiple and 31% with one AUS-abnormal LN(s) had > 2LN+, P = .001.

Conclusion: In our contemporary series, preoperative AUS±USNB streamlined surgical care for 29% of node-positive patients. Two-thirds of T1/T2 USNB-LN+ patients with multiple AUS-suspicious LNs had >2LN+, suggesting they should undergo ALND without SLNB. AUS±USNB helps identify node-positive breast cancer patients who fall outside Z11 guidelines.