International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) trial 23-01

Continuing follow-up data from the IBCSG trial 23-01 reported at the recent San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium indicates no differences between disease-free or overall survival in patients who did not receive axillary node dissection vs. those who did in the setting of minimal sentinal node disease.

The study looked at 931 women randomized from 27 centers that had tumors less than 5 cm and micrometastatic disease in one or more sentinel nodes.

Mean age was 54 years with 56% of the patients being post-menopausal. Estrogen and progesterone-receptor positivity was 89% and 75% respectively. Three-quarters of the women received breast conservation surgery.

The 5 year disease-free survival rates were 88.4% in the no-dissection group and 87.3% in the dissection group. The overall 5 year survival rates were 98% in the no-dissection group and 97.6% in the dissection group.

Long-term adverse events were higher in the dissection group vs. the non-dissection group, including 13% vs. 4% for lymphedema respectively and 8% vs. 3% for motor neuropathy respectively.

These results were similar to the findings reported in the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Z0011 trial.

The results were reported by Dr. Viviana Galimberti.