Reducing Lymph Node Surgery After Chemotherapy for Advanced Breast Cancer
Part of Cancer, Skin clinical trials.
This study tests whether patients with advanced breast cancer (with lymph node involvement) who shrink their cancer with chemotherapy before surgery can safely skip complete lymph node removal and just have a smaller sentinel node procedure instead. The goal is to reduce surgery-related side effects while maintaining good cancer outcomes.
Summary written for real people, not researchers, by Clin2.
Who can take part
- Age 18–80 with advanced breast cancer (T1-3, N2-3 stage) involving lymph nodes at diagnosis
- Completed chemotherapy (neoadjuvant) before surgery, with no chemotherapy planned after
- For HER2-positive tumors: received trastuzumab or another approved anti-HER2 therapy during chemotherapy
- Lymph nodes shrunk to ≤1 cm on imaging and no bulky nodes felt on exam after chemotherapy
- Had axillary ultrasound with biopsy confirming cancer in lymph nodes before or within 14 days of starting chemotherapy
- Breast surgery and sentinel node biopsy completed within 56 days of finishing chemotherapy
Quick eligibility check
Answer a few plain-language questions, based on this study's own requirements, to get a preliminary sense of fit.
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