Quality of life after sentinel lymph node biopsy versus complete axillary lymph node dissection in early breast cancer: a 3-year follow-up study

Abstract

Background and objectives: The rating of life quality may belong to the method of surgical treatment: after the axillary lymph node dissection patients may suffer from arm symptoms; after sentinel lymph node biopsy women may highlight the anxiety about the success of radical treatment. The aim was to assess the influence of sentinel lymph node biopsy on the quality of life of the patients with early stage breast cancer compared with total axillary lymph node dissection.

Material and methods: In a prospective case-control study, 48 patients with early invasive breast cancer and no evidence of lymph nodes involvement underwent breast conserving surgery with sentinel lymph node biopsy. They were grouped as matched pairs with the patients who underwert axillary lymph node dissection, according to the age, TNM stage, localization, hormonal receptor status, and surgical characteristics. Quality of life was evaluated using the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR-23 questionnaires before surgery and after 1, 3, 6, 12, and 36 months.

Results: The patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy scored better on the emotional functioning, pain, sexual functioning, and future perspective scales in comparison with those who underwent axillary lymph node dissection. The score on the arm symptom scale remained significantly better in the sentinel lymph node biopsy group than the axillary lymph node dissection group within the overall follow-up period.

Conclusions: The women who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy experienced better quality of life than the patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection.