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Background: Many patients who have undergone surgery experience persistent pain after breast cancer treatment (PPBCT). These symptoms often remain unnoticed by treating physician(s), and the pathophysiology of PPBCT remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence of PPBCT and examine the association between PPBCT and various patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics., Patients and Methods: We conducted a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study enrolling patients with breast cancer treated at Máxima Medical Center between 2005 and 2016. PPBCT was defined as pain in the breast, anterior thorax, axilla, and/or medial upper arm that persists for at least 3 months after surgery. Tumor and treatment characteristics were derived from the Dutch Cancer Registry and electronic patient files., Results: Between February and March 2019, a questionnaire was sent to 2022 women, of whom 56.5% responded. Prevalence of PPBCT among the responders was 37.9%, with 50.8% reporting moderate to severe pain. Multivariable analyses showed that women with signs of anxiety, depression or a history of smoking had a higher risk of experiencing PPBCT. Women aged 70 years or older at diagnosis were significantly less likely to report PPBCT compared with younger women. No significant association was found between PPBCT and treatment characteristics, including type of axillary surgery and radiotherapy., Conclusions: A considerable percentage of patients with breast cancer experience PPBCT. Women with signs of anxiety or depression and women with a history of smoking are more likely to report PPBCT. Further research is required to understand the underlying etiology and to improve prevention and treatment strategies for PPBCT., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Unlike sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in the primary setting, the repeat SLNB (rSLNB) in patients with ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) is challenging, because it is difficult to visualize and/or harvest a sentinel lymph node in every patient. Regional treatments options and safety in terms of regional disease control after such an unsuccessful rSLNB remain unclear. This study assesses factors associated with the performance of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after unsuccessful rSLNB and evaluates the occurrence of regional recurrences., Methods: Data were obtained from the Sentinel Node and Recurrent Breast Cancer (SNARB) study. In 239 patients, the rSLNB was unsuccessful, of whom 60 patients underwent ipsilateral ALND., Results: A shorter time interval between primary treatment and IBTR, and a primary negative SLNB were significantly associated with a higher probability to be treated with ALND after unsuccessful rSLNB (P < 0.001). The 5-year regional-recurrence rate was 0.0% in the ALND group compared with 3.7% in the group treated without ALND (P = 0.113). Of the 179 patients treated without ALND, after a median follow-up of 5.1 years (range 0.3-13.2), 7 (3.9%) developed a regional recurrence as first event after unsuccessful rSLNB. None of the seven recurrences occurred in the ipsilateral axilla. Univariable analysis showed no factors associated with regional recurrence as first event after unsuccessful rSLNB (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that the risk of regional recurrence in patients with an IBTR and an unsuccessful rSLNB is negligible, irrespective of the use of ALND. This suggests that there is no need for additional treatment of the axilla after an unsuccessful rSLNB.

Background: Repeat sentinel lymph node biopsy (rSLNB) has increasingly been used in patients with ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR). The safety in terms of regional disease control after this procedure remains unclear. This study evaluates occurrence of regional recurrence as first event in patients with IBTR and negative rSLNB, treated without additional lymph node dissection., Patients and Methods: Data were obtained from the Sentinel Node and Recurrent Breast Cancer (SNARB) study. In 201 patients, tumor-negative rSLNB was obtained without performing additional lymph node dissections., Results: With median follow-up of 4.7 (range 0.9-12.7) years, regional recurrence occurred after median time of 3.0 (range 0.4-6.7) years in 4.5% (N = 9) of patients as first event after IBTR and rSLNB. In four of these nine patients, the site of recurrence was in concordance with the anatomical location of rSLNB. Two of the nine recurrences were reported in the ipsilateral axilla, resulting in an ipsilateral axillary regional recurrence rate of 1.0%. In the other seven patients, regional recurrence occurred in aberrant basins. Univariable analysis showed that triple-negative IBTR and lower amount of radioactive-labeled tracer ( 99m technetium) used during rSLNB were associated with developing regional recurrence as first event after negative rSLNB (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The risk of developing regional recurrence after negative rSLNB is low. The low relapse rate supports the safety of rSLNB as primary nodal staging tool in IBTR. The time has come for clinical guidelines to adopt rSLNB as axillary staging tool in patients with IBTR.