Axillary study before surgery in patients with breast cancer

Objective

Axillary study with ultrasound and cytological puncture with fine-needle aspirate (FNA) in patients with invasive breast cancer is a diagnostic method included in protocols.

Methods

We studied 159 patients with invasive breast cancer with axillary ultrasound and cytological puncture with fine needle of suspicious nodes before surgery. Suspicious nodes were those with at least one of the following signs: long to short axis ratio less than 1.5, absence of hilius and cortical disruption. If the results were compatible with metastasis, then we performed axillary lymphadenectomy; if it was found to be benign, then we conducted sentinel node biopsy.

Results

In 54 patients (33.96%) FNA was positive. When we conducted axillary lymphadenectomy, 13 patients (24%) were found to have one positive node, seven patients (13%) two positive nodes, nine patients (16%) three positive nodes, and 25 patients (45%) more than three positive nodes.

Conclusion

Axillary study with ultrasound and FNA before surgery allows exclusion of a group of patients from sentinel node biopsy.