The Attitudes of Brazilian Breast Surgeons on Axillary Management in Early Breast Cancer-10 Years after the ACOSOG Z0011 Trial First Publication

Purpose To evaluate the impact of the ACOSOG Z0011 trial on axillary breast cancer surgery management in Brazil following publication of that study (2010) and again in 2020. Patients and Methods A survey of members of the Brazilian Society of Mastology. Results Of 1627 breast surgeons, 799 (49.1%) completed and returned the questionnaire. For patients with the Z11 inclusion criteria, following detection of a positive sentinel lymph node (SLN), axillary dissection (AD) was recommended by 99.2% of respondents before publication of the study, 47.5% in 2010 and 18.5% in 2020 (p < 0.001). In breast-conserving surgery, if there were micro-metastases, 2.6% would perform AD, 30.3% axillary radiotherapy, and 67.1% no additional axillary treatment, while with macro-metastases, these proportions were 21.3%, 52.2%, and 26.5%, respectively. In cases of mastectomy and of nodal extracapsular extension, 43.4% and 36% of surgeons, respectively, recommended AD. For clinically negative axilla and suspicious findings at ultrasonography, 69% of the surgeons would apply the Z11 approach. Most applied the Z11 criteria in cases of younger patients (83.6%) and triple-negative and/or HER2 positive tumors (74%). AD was significantly more likely to be recommended by surgeons who did not work in academic institutes, who worked in locations other than capital cities, who were not board-certified, and who were >= 50 years old. Conclusions This survey revealed substantial changes in axillary surgery management in cN0/pathologically positive SLN, particularly following publication of the updated Z11 results and other similar studies. A better education environment and long-term follow-up were factors associated with the incorporation of Z11-related changes in practice.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the impact of the ACOSOG Z0011 trial on axillary breast cancer surgery management in Brazil, showing substantial changes in the management of axillary surgery in cN0/pathologically positive SLN cases, especially following publication of the updated Z11 results and similar studies. Factors such as better education environment and long-term follow-up were associated with the incorporation of Z11-related changes in practice.