Characteristics of nodes in the sentinel lymph node biopsy and completion axillary lymph node dissection groups
| Characteristic | SLNB, n = 95 | CALND, n = 90 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nodes removed, total no. (range) | 3 (2–5) | 11 (8–14) | NA |
| SLNs, total no. (range) | 3] (2–5) | 2 (2–4) | < 0.001 |
| Positive SLN, no. (range) | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) | 0.13 |
| Percent positive SLN, % (range) | 37.5 (25–50) | 63.4 (40–100) | < 0.001 |
| Largest sentinel node deposit, mean (range) mm | 2.5 (1–6) | 3 (1.5–5) | 0.72 |
| Microscopic SLN deposits, no. (%) | 46 (48.4) | 31 (34.4) | 0.05 |
| N Stage, no. (%) | |||
| N1 | 92/95 (96.8) | 80/90 (88.9) | 0.044 |
| N2 | 3/95 (3.2) | 10/90 (11.1) | |
CALND = completion axillary lymph node dissection; NA = not applicable; SLN = sentinel lymph nodes; SLNB = sentinel lymph node biopsy.