Annals of surgical oncology
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Review Meta Analysis
Value of preoperative ultrasound-guided axillary lymph node biopsy for preventing completion axillary lymph node dissection in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This meta-analysis was designed to evaluate the utility of preoperative axillary ultrasound combined with US-guided lymph node biopsy if indicated (AUS ± biopsy), in terms of staging the axilla and preventing two-step axillary surgery in the form of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) followed by completion axillary lymph node (ALN) dissection. ⋯ Preoperative axillary ultrasound-guided biopsy is a useful step in the process of axillary staging. Approximately 50 % of women with axillary involvement can be identified preoperatively. Still, one in four women with an ultrasound-guided biopsy-"proven" negative axilla has a positive SNB.