Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2013, 157(3):261-265 | DOI: 10.5507/bp.2013.068

Internal mammary node management in breast cancer. A review

David Vranaa,c,d, Jiri Gatekb, Karel Cwiertkaa, Lucie Lukesovaa, Pavel Korandae
a Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic
b Department of Surgery, Atlas Hospital and Tomas Bata University in Zlin
c Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky Universit Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc
d Toxicogenomics Unit, National Institute of Public Health, Prague
e Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc

Background: Internal mammary nodes visualized during sentinel node biopsy for breast cancer, remain an unresolved management issue. Further, both internal mammary node (IMN) radiotherapy and biopsy have attendant risks and hence should be used with caution. The purpose of this review is to highlight the available data and evidence.

Methods and Results: A PubMed database from 1960 to 2012 using key words: internal mammary nodes, breast cancer radiotherapy planning, adjuvant radiotherapy, sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer and selected publications on the significance of internal mammary nodes in breast cancer treatment, published data and approaches used.

We found 14513 relevant papers and we selected 30 that clearly investigated the management of internal mammary nodes during sentinel node search. We focused on the incidence of IMN metastasis (6 papers), risk factors associated with IMN drainage (9 reports), management of IMN and the impact on disease free and overall patient survival (15 papers).

Conclusions: The evidence for breast cancer axillary nodes management is good but the data for other draining nodes such as internal mammary nodes are far less conclusive and further research is needed.

Keywords: internal mammary nodes, breast cancer, radiotherapy, sentinel node

Received: May 18, 2013; Accepted: September 11, 2013; Prepublished online: September 13, 2013; Published: September 30, 2013  Show citation

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Vrana, D., Gatek, J., Cwiertka, K., Lukesova, L., & Koranda, P. (2013). Internal mammary node management in breast cancer. A review. Biomedical papers, 157(3), 261-265. doi: 10.5507/bp.2013.068
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