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Background: In clinically node-negative (cN0) early stage breast cancer (EBC) undergoing primary systemic treatment (PST), post-treatment positive sentinel lymph node (SLN+) directs axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), with uncertain impacts on outcomes and increased morbidities., Patients and Methods: We conducted an observational study on imaging-confirmed cN0 EBC, who underwent PST and breast surgery that resulted in SLN+ and underwent ALND. The association among baseline/postsurgical clinic-pathological factors and positive nonsentinel additional axillary lymph nodes (non-SLN+) was analyzed with logistic regression. LASSO regression (LR) identified variables to include in a predictive score of non-SLN+ (ALND-predict). The accuracy and calibration were assessed, an optimal cut-point was then identified, and in silico validation with bootstrap was undertaken., Results: Non-SLN+ were detected in 22.2% cases after ALND. Only progesterone receptor (PR) levels and macrometastatic SLN+ were independently associated to non-SLN+. LR identified PR, Ki67, and type and number of SLN+ as the most efficient covariates. The ALND-predict score was built based on their LR coefficients, showing an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83 and an optimal cut-off of 63, with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.925. Continuous and dichotomic scores had a good fit (p = 0.876 and p = 1.00, respectively) and were independently associated to non-SLN+ [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.06, p = 0.002 and aOR: 23.77, p < 0.001, respectively]. After 5000 bootstrap-adjusted retesting, the estimated bias-corrected and accelerated 95%CI included the aOR., Conclusions: In cN0 EBC with post-PST SLN+, non-SLN+ at ALND are infrequent (~22%) and independently associated to PR levels and macrometastatic SLN. ALND-predict multiparametric score accurately predicted absence of non-SLN involvement, identifying most patients who could be safely spared unnecessary ALND. Prospective validation is required., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Desde sus inicios, la medicina nuclear se ha enfrentado a cambios tecnológicos que la han obligado a modificar sus modos operativos y a adecuar sus protocolos. En el campo de la cirugía radioguiada (CRG), la incorporación de la imagen gammagráfica preoperatoria y la detección intraoperatoria con la sonda gamma proporcionó un impulso definitivo a la biopsia del ganglio centinela (GC) para convertirse en el procedimiento estándar de aplicación en el melanoma y el cáncer de mama. Las diversas innovaciones tecnológicas y la adaptación consiguiente de protocolos confluyen en lo disruptivo y lo gradual. Como ejemplos evidentes tenemos la introducción de la tomografía por emisión de fotón único/tomografía computarizada (SPECT/TC) en el campo preoperatorio y las sondas Drop-in (Lightpoint Medical Ltd; Crystal photonics, Eurorad) en el intraoperatorio. Otros aspectos innovadores con posible aplicación en la CRG se basan en la utilización de la inteligencia artificial (IA), navegación y teleasistencia. Since its origins, nuclear medicine has faced technological changes that led to modifying operating modes and adapting protocols. In the field of radioguided surgery, the incorporation of preoperative scintigraphic imaging and intraoperative detection with the gamma probe provided a definitive boost to sentinel lymph node biopsy to become a standard procedure for melanoma and breast cancer. The various technological innovations and consequent adaptation of protocols come together in the coexistence of the disruptive and the gradual. As obvious examples we have the introduction of SPECT/CT in the preoperative field and Drop-in probes in the intraoperative field. Other innovative aspects with possible application in radio-guided surgery are based on the application of artificial intelligence, navigation and telecare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]