Prospective Clinical Trial on Expanding the Eligibility Criteria for Targeted Axillary Dissection after Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy in Breast Cancers with Advanced Nodal Disease.
Ann Surg OncolAug 28, 2026 (epub)
A J T Lee, B H H Cheung, D T K Suen et al.
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In 30 seconds
This prospective clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of targeted axillary dissection (TAD) in patients with advanced nodal disease (clinical N1 to N3) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The study found a false negative rate (FNR) of 0% for TAD, indicating its high accuracy in detecting residual axillary disease. A total of 55 patients were analyzed after recruitment.
Key findings
- The technical success rate of TAD was 96%.
- Clipped node detection rate was 100%, with a sentinel node detection rate of 96%.
- Axillary pathologic complete response (pCR) occurred in 49% of patients.
- In non-pCR patients, TAD demonstrated a false negative rate of 0%.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that TAD may be a reliable alternative to axillary dissection in patients with advanced nodal disease, potentially reducing the need for more invasive procedures and associated morbidities.