Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is increasingly used to treat breast cancer and can be offered to patients who are node-negative or node-positive at diagnosis. The potential impact of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy on the axilla has important implications for surgical management.
In node-negative patients, the timing of sentinel lymph node biopsy, either before or after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, lacks consensus. In node-positive patients, the management of the axilla after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy remains controversial. In both of these patient groups, the absence of authoritative guidance may be associated with significant variations in practice. The purpose of this survey is to determine the variation in practice across the United Kingdom. The information gathered will improve our understanding of the potential drivers of variation and help to achieve a standard of care for patients.