Table 2 Clinical trials evaluating the accuracy of sentinel lymph node dissection in clinically node-positive patients. Summary of trials designed to evaluate the accuracy of sentinel lymph node dissection to assess axillary nodal response to therapy in clinically node-positive patients who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Nodal eligibility criteria

cN1-2

cN1-2

cN1-2

Endpoints reported for cN1 ^a

Biopsy required to confirm metastases?

Yes

No

Yes

Number of patients

cN1 = 603

592

153

cN2 = 34

Overall FNR (No IHC)

12.6 % ^a

14.2 %

13.4 %

FNR with IHC

8.7 % ^a

Not reported

8.4 %

FNR depending on mapping agents

One agent

20.3 %

16 %

16 %

Dual agents

10.8 %

8.6 %

5.2 %

FNR by number of SLNs

One SLN

31 %

24.3 %

18.2 %

Two SLNs

21.1 %

18.5 %

≥2 SLNs = 4.9 %

Three or more SLNs

9.1 %

4.9 %