Prognostic significance of the number of examined lymph nodes in node-negative gastric adenocarcinoma

Aim

In this study, we investigated the prognostic significance of the number of examined lymph nodes in node-negative gastric adenocarcinoma (GC).

Patients and methods

A total of 1194 node-positive and 1030 node-negative GC patients undergoing potentially curative gastrectomy was enrolled in this study. Patients were stratified into 3 groups according to the number of examined lymph nodes: group 1, ≤15; group 2, 16–25; group 3, >25.

Results

Patients with node-negative GC had significantly favorable survival compared with those with node-positive. Among patients with node-negative T2–T4 disease, the percentage of locoregional relapse was higher in those with <25 examined lymph nodes than in those with ≥25 examined lymph nodes. The number of examined lymph nodes affected the overall survival rates for patients with node-negative T2–T4 GC but not for patients with T1 lesions. Tumor size, tumor location, the number of examined lymph nodes, T status, and the presence of perineural invasion were significant prognostic factors as determined by multivariate analysis in node-negative GC.

Conclusions

No survival benefit of examining ≥15 lymph nodes was noted for patients with node-negative T1 GC. Extensive lymphadenectomy in patients with node-negative T2–T4 lesions in whom the number of examined lymph nodes was >25 had favorable survival.     

Prognostic significance of the number of axillary lymph nodes removed in patients with node-negative breast cancer.

PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between the number of lymph nodes removed at axillary dissection and recurrence and survival for patients with node-negative invasive breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Subjects were 2,278 women with pathologically node-negative invasive breast cancer, diagnosed from 1989 to 1993 in British Columbia, Canada. Women aged > or = 90 years, with pure in-situ, bilateral invasive breast cancer or T4, N1, N2, or M1 stage, or who had axillary radiation were excluded. Two groups were defined for analysis: node-negative with no systemic therapy (n = 1,468) and node-negative with systemic therapy (n = 810). Median follow-up was 7.5 years. Prognostic variables assessed were age at diagnosis, tumor size, tumor grade, invasion of lymphatics, veins, or nerves, estrogen receptor status, and number of nodes removed. RESULTS: For patients not receiving systemic therapy, regional relapse was significantly increased with smaller numbers of nodes removed (P =.03). There was a trend toward shorter overall survival with fewer nodes removed (P =.06). Node-negative patients who received systemic therapy did not have a higher regional relapse rate or shorter overall survival when fewer nodes were recovered. CONCLUSION: Recovery of a small number of negative lymph nodes at axillary dissection likely understages patients and leads to undertreatment, resulting in an increased regional relapse rate and poorer survival. The use of systemic therapy may overcome this effect. The number of nodes removed, in conjunction with other prognostic factors, may be useful in selecting node-negative patients for systemic therapy.     

腋窝淋巴结清扫总数在预测淋巴结阴性乳腺癌患者预后中的价值

目的探讨腋窝淋巴结清扫总数在预测淋巴结阴性乳腺癌患者预后中的价值。方法采用Kaplan-Meier法和多因素回归分析方法,对138例有完整随访资料的淋巴结阴性乳腺癌患者的生存情况及影响因素进行分析。结果本组患者随访时间为33-96月,中位随访时间89月。5年总生存率为93.5%,无瘤生存率为80.1%。单因素分析显示,腋窝淋巴结清扫总数影响淋巴结阴性乳腺癌患者的预后(χ2=6.24,P<0.05),多因素回归分析发现腋窝淋巴结清扫总数是影响淋巴结阴性乳腺癌患者预后的独立因素之一(P=0.025)。结论手术清扫腋窝淋巴结数目可反映区域淋巴结清扫的彻底性以及评价术后病理分期的准确性,是影响淋巴结阴性乳腺癌患者预后的独立预后因素之一。     

无淋巴结转移的结直肠癌患者淋巴结切除数目对预后的影响

结直肠癌是我国最常见的癌症死亡原因之一。术中切除的淋巴结数目与结直肠癌患者的预后密切相关,特别是对无淋巴结转移的患者具有重要的临床意义。其机制可能包括淋巴结错误病理分期及淋巴结微转移等。因此,术中规范地进行淋巴结清扫,术后对高危患者进行强化治疗,提高微转移检测手段等对结直肠癌患者的预后具有重要作用。     

无淋巴结转移的结直肠癌患者淋巴结切除数目对预后的影响

结直肠癌是我国最常见的癌症死亡原因之一。术中切除的淋巴结数目与结直肠癌患者的预后密切相关,特别是对无淋巴结转移的患者具有重要的临床意义。其机制可能包括淋巴结错误病理分期及淋巴结微转移等。因此,术中规范地进行淋巴结清扫,术后对高危患者进行强化治疗,提高微转移检测手段等对结直肠癌患者的预后具有重要作用。     

Low number of examined lymph nodes in node-negative breast cancer patients is an adverse prognostic factor.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine whether the number of lymph nodes removed at axillary dissection is associated with recurrence and survival in node-negative breast cancer (NNBC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1606 women with pathologically node-negative T1-T3 invasive breast cancer. Median follow-up was 61 months (range 2-251). Potential prognostic factors assessed included: number of axillary lymph nodes examined, age, menopausal status, tumor size, histological type, tumor grade, estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2. RESULTS: At 5 years, relapse-free survival (RFS) rate was 85% and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) rate was 94%. In univariate analysis, factors significantly associated with lower RFS and BCSS were: fewer than six lymph nodes examined (RFS, P = 0.01; BCSS, P = 0.007), tumor size >2 cm, grade III, negative ER or PR. Statistically significant factors for lower RFS and BCSS in multivariate analysis were: fewer than six lymph nodes examined [RFS, hazard ratio (HR) 1.36, P = 0.029; BCSS, HR 1.87, P = 0.005], tumor size >2 cm, tumor grade III and negative PR. CONCLUSIONS: Examination of fewer than six lymph nodes is an adverse prognostic factor in NNBC because it could lead to understaging. Six or more nodes need to be examined at axillary dissection to be confident of a node-negative status. This may be useful, in conjunction with other prognostic factors, in the assessment of NNBC patients for adjuvant systemic therapy.     

The prognostic significance of total lymph node number in patients with axillary lymph node-negative breast cancer.

AIM: In node-negative breast cancer patients, several factors for survival have been evaluated and currently, some of them are accepted for their prognostic and/or predictive values after validation in the separate data sets. The prognostic significance of increases in the number of pathologically detectable axillary lymph nodes in the node-negative patients could not been established clearly. To address this question, we have reviewed our patients' records. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in pathologically node-negative patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy for stage I and II breast cancer. Survival and multivariate prognostic factor analyses were carried out to determine whether the number of tumour-free lymph nodes in complete axillary dissection material in addition to known factors was significant for the outcomes. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy consecutive patients were eligible to enter the trial. The median observation time and the median number of tumour-free lymph nodes were 61 (from 30 to 120) months and 18 (from 10 to 44), respectively. The cohort was divided into the groups according to the number of nodes. The 5-year event-free and overall survivals were 92.5 and 98.3% for patients who had 18 lymph nodes or less, and 70 and 86.7% for those who had more than 18 negative nodes, respectively (P < 0.00001). Multivariate analysis for event-free survival demonstrated that the number of lymph nodes (Relative risk: 3.2 and 95% confidence interval: 1.7 to 5.9) in addition to the pathological tumour size and age was the most important independent prognosticator. In similar, multivariate analysis for overall survival showed that the number of lymph nodes together with the tumour size was the significant indicator (RR of cancer-specific dying in patients who had more than 18 nodes: 3.1 and 95% CI: 1.2 to 8.5). CONCLUSION: The increases in number of tumour-free lymph nodes are clinically important and this parameter should be taken into consideration in the breast cancer patients without metastatic lymph nodes.     

Prognostic significance of the number of metastatic lymph nodes in patients with gastric cancer

To confirm the prognostic significance of the number of the metastatic lymph nodes (MLN) in cases of gastric cancer, the results of surgical treatment of 668 patients with primary gastric cancer were analyzed retrospectively. Five-year survival rates were calculated with reference to the number of MLN, namely, none (89.2%), one to three (77.4%), four to six (55.8%), and seven or more (36.2%). Furthermore, even when the cancer had invaded the serosa, 5-year survival was significantly more frequent in patients with one to three MLN (71.7%) than in those with four to six (35.5%) or more than six (31.5%) (P less than 0.01), and the 5-year survival was close to that of patients with no MLN (70.5%). Not only qualitative but also quantitative evaluation of lymph node metastasis is essential for estimating the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.     

Clinical significance of occult micrometastases in axillary lymph nodes in "node-negative" breast cancer patients.

The most important subgroup of breast cancer patients for whom reliable prognostic indicators are needed is women without axillary lymph node metastases. We evaluated the clinical significance of occult micrometastases in axillary lymph nodes in 148 consecutive "node-negative" breast cancer patients. The median age of the patients at surgery was 52 years and the median follow-up period after surgery was 98.5 months. Occult micrometastases were detected in 21 of 148 patients (14.2%) by means of immunohistochemical analysis using AE1 / 3 antibody and a single unstained section after routine histopathological examination. Log-rank tests indicated that the 7-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates by Kaplan-Meier methods were significantly better in patients without occult micrometastases than in patients with occult micrometastases [DFS, 93% versus 71% (P = 0.0009); OS, 96% versus 76% (P = 0.0001)]. According to Cox's multivariate analysis, the presence of occult micrometastases had the most significant effect on DFS (P = 0.0053) and OS (P = 0.0035). These findings suggest that the presence of occult micrometastases is an independent and significant predictor of clinical outcome, and that their immunohistochemical detection after routine histopathological examination is useful for selecting the "node-negative" breast cancer patient subgroup at high risk for relapse and death.     

DETECTION OF MICROMETASTASES IN AXILLARY LYMPH NODES OF NODE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND ITS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Thebreastcancerpatientswithaxillarynode-negative(ANN)havebetterprognosis,butl5-2o%ofthemhavearecurrencewithinlOyearsafterprimarytreatment.Thepresenceofaxillarynodalmetastasesisthemostimportantprognosticfactorinprimaryoperablebreastcancerpatients.SoitwasguessedthatinoperationtherewerelymphnodemicrometastasesmissedonroutinestaininginthesereIapsedpatientswithANNbreastcancer.Inthisstudy,monoclonaIantibodiesagainstcytokeratin(CK)wereappliedasaprobe,usingAPAAPimmunohistochemistrytechniquetodet…     

Prognostic factors and natural history in lymph node-negative breast cancer patients

Summary The prognostic significance of clinical and histological factors as well as hormone receptors was analyzed in a population of 3,064 lymph node-negative breast cancer patients operated in the Stockholm region between 1976 and 1988. None of these patients received systemic adjuvant treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that only histological tumor size, number of examined axillary lymph nodes, and progesterone receptors were independent prognostic factors in terms of recurrence-free interval. An individual risk of recurrence was calculated taking into account these three factors to discriminate between three groups of patients with a risk of less than 15%, 15–25%, and more than 25% of recurrence at 5 years. Similar results were obtained taking into account only the first two factors. The prognostic information added by the knowledge of progesterone receptors only changed the recurrence rate in approximately 3%. This study showed that conventional prognostic factors permit the identification of high risk lymph node-negative breast cancer patients. Results obtained by the use of new more sophisticated factors should be compared with those obtained analyzing strong conventional prognostic factors.     

Prognostic significance of S-phase fraction in good-risk, node-negative breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from axillary node-negative breast cancer patients were analyzed by flow cytometry to determine the prognostic significance of DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients were registered on a good-risk control arm of an intergroup clinical trial. They had small- to intermediate-sized (less than 3 cm), estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors and received no adjuvant therapy after modified radical mastectomy or total mastectomy with low axillary-node sampling. The median follow-up was 4.8 years. RESULTS: Assessable ploidy results were obtained from 92% of the 298 specimens studied (51% diploid, 49% aneuploid), and SPFs were assessable for 83% of the tumors. SPFs for diploid tumors ranged from 0.7% to 11.9% (median, 3.6%), compared with a range of 1.2% to 26.7% (median, 7.6%) for aneuploid tumors (P less than .0001). No significant differences in disease-free or overall survival were observed between patients with diploid and aneuploid tumors. Using different SPF cutoffs by ploidy status (4.4% for diploid, 7.0% for aneuploid), patients with low SPFs had significantly longer disease-free survival rates than patients with high SPFs (P = .0008). The actuarial 5-year relapse rates were 15% and 32% for patients with low (n = 142) and high SPFs (n = 105), respectively. Similar relationships between SPF and clinical outcome were observed for patients with diploid tumors (P = .053) and for patients with aneuploid tumors (P = .0012). CONCLUSION: S-phase fraction provides additional prognostic information for predicting disease-free survival for axillary node-negative breast cancer patients with small, ER-positive tumors.     

Prognostic significance of the regional lymph nodes in osteosarcoma.

This study was undertaken to find out if there are any factors of prognostic significance that can help the surgeon in the management of osteogenic sarcoma. One hundred and thirty-nine cases of osteogenic sacrocma were treated during a 30-year period and their survival figures have been analysed with respect to age, sex, extent of disease, previous treatment, and value of lymphadenectomy. We found that patients in whom the lymph nodes were preserved had a better survival as compared to patients in whom the lymph nodes were removed en bloc with the primary tumour. This further supports our contention that the regional lymph nodes have an important role to play in the immune response against osteosarcoma. The experimental work of the cytotoxic action of regional lymph node cells against osteosarcoma cell lines has been studied in our laboratory. The results of this study stimulated us to undertake this retrospective analysis.     

Prognostic value of the 2002 TNM classification for breast carcinoma with regard to the number of metastatic axillary lymph nodes

BACKGROUND: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM classification for breast carcinoma had not been changed for 15 years, since the publication of the third edition in 1987. However, in the sixth edition, published in 2002, significant modifications were made with regard to the number of metastatic axillary lymph nodes. The authors investigated whether the sixth edition of the TNM classification provided more reliable prognostic information compared with the third edition. METHODS: The records of 1230 patients who underwent surgery for invasive breast carcinoma between 1993 and 1999 were reviewed. Each patient was assigned to axillary lymph node and disease stage groups according to the 1987 and 2002 AJCC TNM classifications. Disease-free survival (DFS) curves were calculated and plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and the two-sided log-rank test was used to compare the survival curves of the patient groups. RESULTS: Of the 1067 patients who were classified as having Stages II and III disease according to the 1987 classification, 411 (38.5%) were shifted to higher disease stages using the 2002 classification. Among the 1987 Stage IIA, Stage IIB, and Stage IIIA patients, the DFS rates of the patients who were shifted to higher stages of disease were significantly worse than those of the patients for whom the stage of disease was not changed. Among those patients classified as having T4anyNM0 (Stage IIIB) disease according to the 1987 classification, there was no survival difference noted between those patients with T4N0,1,2M0 disease (who formed the Stage IIIB group) and those with T4N3M0 disease (who formed the Stage IIIC group) according to the new staging system. Of the 221 patients who formed the new Stage IIIC group, 12.2% were classified as having Stage IIA disease, 42.1% as having Stage IIB disease, 38.9% as having Stage IIIA disease, and 6.8% as having Stage IIIB disease according to the 1987 classification. The survival rates of these Stage IIA, Stage IIB, and Stage IIIA patients were not found to be significantly different; however, the survival of patients in the Stage IIIB group was found to be significantly worse than the survival of the patients in the other disease stage groupings, and the patients in the Stage IIIC group were not a prognostically homogeneous group. On the basis of these results, the authors placed patients with T4anyNM0 disease in the same group (Stage IIIB). When the 2002 classification was rearranged in this manner, patients with Stage IIIC disease formed a homogeneous group; the 5-year DFS rate of patients with Stage IIIB disease was found to be significantly worse than that for patients with Stage IIIC disease (P = 0.0011). CONCLUSIONS: In the 2002 TNM classification for breast carcinoma, patients with T4anyNM0 disease should form a distinct stage grouping and this stage grouping (Stage IIIC) should be placed before Stage IV, and Stage IIIB disease groupings should include patients with T1,2,3N3M0 disease. In this way, the authors hope that the 2002 AJCC TNM classification, which provides more reliable prognostic information than the 1987 classification, will become more refined.     

Detection and significance of lymph node micro-metastases in patients with node-negative gastric carcinoma

Lymph node ndcrometastases refer to minute cancermetastases in lymph nodes whose diameter is less than 2nun,l'] and they are difficult to be observed with routinehistologic exndnation. In early years serial sectioningwas frequently used in detectingl lymph node ulnicrometastases. Since the 80's inununohistochemicaltechnique has been commonly employed, and recentlyreverse iran s criptas es -polymeras e chain reaction is al s oaPPlied in order to detect ndcrometastases.12--SJ Althoughall techn…     

Influence of the Number of Lymph Nodes Examined on the Prognosis of Patients with Dukes＇ B and C Colorectal Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE To analyze the influence of the number of lymph nodes examined on the prognosis of Dukes＇ B and C colorectal cancer patients. METHODS The relationship between the clinicopathologic features of 373 patients with Dukes＇ B and C colorectal cancer and number of the lymph nodes examined was retrospectively analyzed. The effect of the different number of nodes examined on the prognosis of the patients was appraised RESULTS The overall mean number of retrieved lymph nodes of the 373 patients with Dukes＇ B and C colorectal cancer was 13.71±9.38. The site and size of the tumor as well as the depth of tumor infiltration were the major reasons which influenced the number of lymph nodes retrieved. The mean number of lymph nodes examined in the colon-cancer patients was 17.51± 12.79, which was significantly more than the 11.09±6.17 （P = 0.000） examined in the rectal-cancer patients. The 5-year survival rate of the patients with Dukes＇ B large intestinal carcinoma, with fewer lymph nodes retrieved （0 to 10）, was only 60.4%, while those with more lymph node retrieved （≥10） had a 5-year survival of 77.5%. So there was a significant difference between the two groups. However the number of lymph nodes examined had no effect on prognosis of the patients with Dukes＇ C large intestinal carcinoma. Separate analysis of the colon and rectal cancers indicated that to improve the 5-year survival rate, the number of retrieved nodes in cases with rectal cancer should be at least 9, and with colon cancer cases at least 13. CONCLUSION In order to guarantee an accuracy of tumor staging for developing a possible postoperative treatment, at least 9 lymph nodes in rectal cancer patients or 13 in colon cancer patients should be harvested.     

Number of lymph nodes examined and prognosis among pathologically lymph node-negative patients after preoperative chemoradiation therapy for rectal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND:

Preoperative chemoradiation for rectal cancer can decrease the number of evaluable lymph nodes. Hence, the prognostic role of lymph node evaluation in patients with rectal cancer who receive preoperative chemoradiation is unclear. The authors of this report evaluated the prognostic impact of the number of lymph nodes examined in patients with rectal cancer who had negative lymph nodes based on the pathologic extent of disease (ypN0) after they received preoperative chemoradiation.

METHODS:

Between 1990 and 2004, 372 patients with nonmetastatic rectal adenocarcinoma received preoperative chemoradiation followed by mesorectal excision and had ypN0 disease. The median radiation dose was 45 gray, and 68% of patients received adjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS:

Patients had a median of 7 lymph nodes examined after preoperative chemoradiation. Compared with patients who had ≤7 lymph nodes examined, patients who had >7 lymph nodes had higher 5‐year rates of freedom from relapse (86% vs 72%; log‐rank P = .005) and cancer‐specific survival (95% vs 86%; log‐rank P = .0004), but no significant difference was observed in the overall survival rate (87% vs 81%; log‐rank P = .07). Multivariate Cox proportional models demonstrated that patients who had >7 lymph nodes examined had a significantly lower risk of relapse (hazard ratio [HR], 0.39; P = .003) and death from rectal cancer (HR, 0.45; P = .04) but a similar risk of all‐cause mortality (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.46‐1.20; P = .23) compared with patients who had ≤7 lymph nodes examined.

CONCLUSIONS:

The number of lymph nodes examined was associated independently with disease relapse and cancer‐specific survival in patients with rectal cancer who had ypN0 disease after receiving preoperative chemoradiation. Hence, the authors concluded that the number of negative lymph nodes examined may be a prognostic factor in patients with rectal cancer who receive preoperative chemoradiation. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.     

Prognostic value of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in patients with lymph node-negative breast carcinoma

Twenty-five to thirty percent of patients with node-negative breast cancer are expected to relapse following surgery, therefore great efforts have been made to identify new prognostic markers that could be useful in defining patients for additional therapy. The expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 has been associated with high potential of metastasis in several human carcinomas including breast cancer. In the present study we examined the prognostic value of immunoreactive MMP-2/MMP-9 protein in 270 consecutive lymph node negative cases who received radical mastectomy or modified radical mastectomy. Among the patients, 211 cases received adjuvant endocrine therapy and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. Using immunohistochemical assay, we found that 56.7% of the resected tumors were positive for MMP-2 whereas 59.6% of the samples were positive for MMP-9. ² test demonstrated a significant direct association between MMP-2 and MMP-9 ( p < 0.001); positive immunostaining of MMP-2 was significantly related to higher tumor grade ( p < 0.001) and larger tumor size ( p=0.012); positive immunostaining of MMP-9 was significantly related to higher tumor grade ( p=0.002). In univariate analysis, using Cox-proportional hazard model we found MMP-2, MMP-9 and the co-expression of MMPs (MMP2/MMP9) were significantly associated with patients' relapse free survival ( p=0.016, 0.015 and 0.013 respectively) but not overall survival ( p=0.122, 0.320 and 0.091 respectively). Log-rank test also showed that MMP-2, MMP-9 or the co-expression of MMP2/MMP9 was unfavorable prognostic factor for relapse free survival but not overall survival. In subgroup analysis, we found MMPs were more prognostic for patients with no adjuvant treatment than for patients with adjuvant therapy. In multivariate analysis, using Cox-proportional hazard model we found co-expression of MMPs, larger tumor size and higher tumor grade were unfavorable for relapse free survival ( p=0.038, 0.007 and 0.015 for each). We concluded that MMP-2 and MMP-2 are unfavorable prognostic factors in breast cancer patients. They might be potential predictive factor for adjuvant systemic therapy. The co-expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 has significantly prognostic value in node-negative patients.     

Prognostic value of micrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes of patients with breast carcinoma: a cohort study

Background: The prognostic meaning and thus indication for adjuvanttherapy of lymphogenic micrometastases in breast cancer patientsis still under debate. Patients and methods: From 1999 to 2007, 703 patients with _cT_1–2N₀breast cancer underwent surgery including sentinel lymph nodebiopsy. Examination of sentinel lymph nodes consisted of hematoxylinand eosin and immunohistochemistry staining following serialsectioning of the sentinel node. Patients were divided intofour groups: _pN₀ (n = 423), _pN_1micro (n = 81), _pN_1a (n = 130)and _pN_1b (n = 69). Median follow-up was 40 months. Results: At the end of follow-up, 53 patients had died and 64had recurrent disease. Compared with _pN₀ and following adjustmentfor possible confounders, including adjuvant systemic treatment,overall survival was not significantly different for _pN_1microwhile significantly worse for _pN_1a and _pN_1b {hazard ratio (HR)[95% confidence interval (CI)]: 0.59 [0.14–2.58], 4.31[1.85–10.01], 10.66 [4.04–28.14], respectively}.Likewise, disease-free survival was not significantly differentfor _pN_1micro and worse for _pN_1a and _pN_1b (HR [95% CI]: 1.43[0.67–3.02], 2.79 [1.37–5.66], 7.13 [3.27–15.54],respectively). Distant metastases were more commonly observedin the _pN_1micro than in the _pN₀ group, but still not as commonas in the _pN_1a or _pN_1b group (HR [95% CI]: 4.85 [1.79–13.18],10.34 [3.82–28.00], 23.25 [7.88–68.56], respectively). Conclusion: Although the risk of distant metastases was higherin patients in the _pN_1micro than in the _pN₀ group, no statisticallysignificant differences were observed in overall or disease-freesurvival between _pN₀ and _pN_1micro. Micrometastatic lymph nodeinvolvement in itself should not be an indication for adjuvantchemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Key words: breast cancer, micrometastases, prognosis, sentinel lymph node Received for publication March 11, 2008. Revision received June 25, 2008. Accepted for publication July 1, 2008.