Skip to main content
Log in

Sentinel lymph node biopsy versus axillary clearance in operable breast cancer: The RACS SNAC trial, a multicenter randomized trial of the royal Australian college of surgeons (RACS) section of breast surgery, in collaboration with the national health and medical research council clinical trials center

  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of the SNAC trial is to determine if sentinel node biopsy (SNB) produces less morbidity and equivalent cancer-related outcomes in comparison with immediate axillary clearance (AC) in women with early breast cancer. The intervention is SNB followed by immediate AC, or SNB followed by AC only if the SNB specimen is positive. This is a multicenter, centrally randomized phase III trial of 1000 women stratified according to age, tumor palpability, lymphatic mapping technique, and center. Accrual rate is 26 women per month; 789 women have been randomized to date. Analysis of the first 150 women indicates good compliance with study treatment and acceptable surgical technique.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Carter CL, Allen C, Henson DE. Relation of tumour size, lymph nodes status and survival in 24, 740 breast cancer cases.Cancer 1989;63:181–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Fisher ER, Anderson S, Redmond C, et al. Pathologic findings from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project Protocol B-06: 10 year pathological and clinical prognostic discriminants.Cancer 1993;71:2507–14.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kissin MW, Querci-Della-Rovere G, Easton D, et al. Risk of lymphoedema following the treatment of breast cancer.Br J Surg 1986;73:580–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Aitken RJ, Gayes MN, Rodger A, et al. Arm morbidity within a trial of mastectomy and either node sample with selective radiotherapy or axillary clearance.Br J Surg 1989;76:568–71.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Giuliano AE, Kirgan DM, Guenther JM, et al. Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymphadenectomy in breast cancer.Ann Surg 1994; 220:391–401.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Veronesi U, Paganelli G, Galimberti V, et al. Sentinel-node biopsy to avoid axillary dissection in breast cancer with clinically negative lymph nodes.Lancet 1997;349:1864–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Cox CE, Pendas S, Cox JM, et al. Guidelines for sentinel node biopsy and lymphatic mapping of patients with breast cancer.Ann Surg 1998;227:645–53.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kollias J, Gill PG, Chatterton BE, et al. Reliability of sentinel node status in predicting axillary lymph node involvement in breast cancer.MJA 1999;171:461–5.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Casley-Smith JR. Measuring and representing peripheral oedema and its alterations.Lymphology 1994;27:56–70.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Aaronson NK, Ahmedzai S, Bergman B, et al. The EORTC QLQ-C30: a quality of life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology.J Natl Cancer Inst 1993;85:365–76.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Sprangers MAG, Groenvold M, Arraras JI, et al. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer breast cancer-specific quality-of-life questionnaire module: first results from a three-country field study.J Clin Oncol 1996;14: 2756–68.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Baxter NN. The Body Image After Breast Cancer Questionnaire: the design and testing of a disease specific measure.Dissertation Abstracts International, Section B: The Sciences & Engineering 1999;59(12-B):6258.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gill, P.G. Sentinel lymph node biopsy versus axillary clearance in operable breast cancer: The RACS SNAC trial, a multicenter randomized trial of the royal Australian college of surgeons (RACS) section of breast surgery, in collaboration with the national health and medical research council clinical trials center. Annals of Surgical Oncology 11 (Suppl 3), 216S–221S (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02523632

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02523632

Key Words

Navigation