Micrometastases in Axillary Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer, Post-neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

SLNB was performed using single or dual tracers. For the single tracer technique, Technetium 99, a radioactive substance, was administered periareolarly prior to surgery, and SLNs were identified intraoperatively via a gamma detection system (Neoprobe®). The dual tracer method employed both an isosulfan blue dye and Technetium 99 concurrently. The choice of SLNB technique was contingent upon the surgeon's discretion. SLNs were categorized as one or multiple, and any LN identified by either or both methods was defined as SLN. LNs resected during SLNB without tracer signal were not classified as SLNs. ALND was characterized by the removal of all LNs in axillary levels I and II. Patients documented to have undergone ALND in surgical records were primarily selected from our registry. Among them, those with fewer than 10 LNs were excluded, based on the assumption that a competent ALND necessitated the removal of 10 or more LNs as defined in previous studies