Can post-mastectomy radiation therapy be omitted in T1-2 clinically node-negative breast cancer patients with a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy?

Abstract

Background/Objective: The AMAROS trial demonstrated that both axillary radiation and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) provide excellent locoregional control in patients with clinically node-negative T1-2 breast cancers and a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (+SLNB). In that study, 18% of patients underwent total mastectomy (TM). We evaluate survival outcome of TM patients who do not require additional axillary treatment after identification of a +SLNB.