Cosmetic outcome of breast conserving therapy after sentinel node biopsy versus axillary lymph node dissection.

Introduction. Next to locoregional control, good cosmetic outcome is one of the main goals of breast conserving treatment (BCT) for breast cancer surgery. Factors affecting cosmetic outcome are well known. The sentinel node (SN) procedure avoids lymphedema in the breast, which might influence cosmetic outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cosmetic outcome of BCT after the SN procedure compared to that after axillary lymph node dissection (ALND).