Surgery involving sentinel lymph node biopsy for middle-aged women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer may do more harm than good, according to a new study led by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers. The team used a novel artificial intelligence pipeline developed by Realyze Intelligence, a UPMC Enterprises portfolio company, to analyze electronic health records. The findings, published today in JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics , suggest that clinical guidelines for de-escalating surgery in women aged over 70 years with early-stage ER+ breast cancer may be safely extended to post-menopausal patients 55 or older.
This research informs the overall goal of moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach for treating breast cancer. Instead, our focus is tailoring care so that treatment is at the right level for each patient, which includes doing less surgery when it's unlikely to have a benefit." Neil Carleton, lead author, graduate student in Pitt's Medical Scientist Training Program Sentinel lymph node biopsy, which involves surgically removing one or more lymph nodes that drain from a patient's primary tumor, allows oncologists to detect whether the cancer has spread.
This procedure is usually standard-of-care for patients with breast cancer, but there are risks, including lymphedema , or buildup of lymphatic fluid, which causes swelling, discomfort and mobility issues. "Even though there is a relatively low risk of lymphedema after.
