Internal Mammary Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Early Breast Cancer Patients With Clinically Axillary Node -Positive

In addition to the axillary lymph nodes, the internal mammary lymph nodes (IMLNs) drainage is another important lymphatic channel of the breast. The status of IMLNs also provides important prognostic information for breast cancer patients. The technical evolvements of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and lymphoscintigraphy provided a less invasive method for assessing IMLNs than surgical dissection. Recently, many study concerning IMSLNB was performed in the patients with clinically negative axillary nodes. However, previous published studies concerning patients with breast cancer who all underwent a radical mastectomy have shown that IMLN metastases are mostly found concomitantly with axillary metastases. For this reason, IM-SLNB is even more important for clinically axillary node-negative patients. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt of the IM-SLNB in early breast cancer patients with clinically positive axillary nodes.