What is the study about?

Standard practice currently dictates that axillary (armpit) treatment be given to breast cancer patients. However, it is possible that this axillary treatment is not necessary. In POSNOC, women with unifocal or multifocal invasive breast cancer who have one or two sentinel nodes with macrometastases will be randomised to have axillary treatment or no axillary treatment. The primary outcome of the trial is axillary recurrence within 5 years.

Who can take part in the study?

Women 18 or over with invasive breast cancer with a lesion ≤5cm in its largest dimension, with one or two sentinel nodes with macrometastases. 

What is being tested in the study?

Adjuvant therapy alone

What is this being compared to?

Adjuvant therapy plus axillary treatment (axillary node clearance or axillary radiotherapy).

What are we trying to find out?

Whether adjuvant therapy alone is no worse than adjuvant therapy plus axillary treatment, in terms of axillary recurrence within 5 years.

How many patients do we need?

1900

Funder

National Institute for Health and Care Research - Health Technology Assessment (NIHR - HTA)

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