Surgery to Remove Sentinel Lymph Nodes With or Without Removing Lymph Nodes in the Armpit in Treating Women With Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Resectable invasive adenocarcinoma of the breast, confirmed by 1 of the following:

  • Histologically confirmed by core or open biopsy
  • Confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology AND positive clinical breast examination and ultrasound or mammography

• Clinically negative lymph nodes

  • No positive ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes
  • No prior removal of ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes
  • No suspicious palpable nodes in the contralateral axilla or palpable supraclavicular or infraclavicular nodes, unless proven nonmalignant by biopsy

• No ulceration, erythema, infiltration of the skin or underlying chest wall (complete fixation), peau d'orange, or skin edema of any magnitude

  • Tethering or dimpling of the skin or nipple inversion allowed
• No bilateral malignancy or mass in the opposite breast that is suspicious for malignancy, unless proven nonmalignant by biopsy
• No diffuse tumors or multiple malignant tumors in different quadrants of the breast
• No other prior breast malignancy except lobular carcinoma in situ
• No prior or concurrent breast implants

• Hormone receptor status:

  • Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 years and older

Sex:

• Female

Menopausal status:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• At least 10 years (excluding diagnosis of cancer)

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• No hepatic systemic disease

Renal:

• No renal systemic disease

Cardiovascular:

• No cardiovascular systemic disease

Other:

• No prior malignancy within past 5 years except:

  • Effectively treated squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer
  • Surgically treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix
  • Surgically treated lobular carcinoma in situ of the ipsilateral or contralateral breast
• No concurrent psychiatric or addictive disorder

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No prior immunotherapy for this cancer

Chemotherapy:

• No prior chemotherapy for this cancer, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• No prior hormonal therapy for this cancer

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiotherapy for this cancer

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior breast reduction surgery
• Prior excisional biopsy or lumpectomy allowed