State-of-the-art lymph node staging for breast cancer in the year 2000

Axillary staging for breast cancer is vitally important for determining app ropriate adjuvant hormone and chemotherapy. In the absence of distant metas tases, axillary lymph node status remains the most accurate predictor of cl inical outcome. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a minimally invasive approach with enhanced accuracy and less morbidity than conventional axillary disse ction. The stage is now set for the sentinel lymphadenectomy staging to mov e from state-of-the-art care to the standard care in coming years. (C) 2000 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.