European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology
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Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) without completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is replacing ALND as the axillary staging procedure of choice in breast cancer patients with a clinically negative axilla even though it is unclear whether this influences patient survival. Our aim was to compare the survival of breast cancer patients with a negative SLNB without completion ALND to that of extensive ALND-negative patients. ⋯ Survival after a SLNB without completion ALND is at least equivalent to after an extensive ALND in node-negative breast cancer patients. This means that the SLNB only can safely replace ALND as the procedure of choice for axillary staging in breast cancer patients with a clinically negative axilla.