Ultrasound may spare breast cancer patients from unnecessary surgery

NCT ID NCT04854005

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study looks at whether using ultrasound before surgery can help identify women with early-stage HR+/HER2- breast cancer who have only a few affected lymph nodes. If so, they may be able to have a less invasive sentinel lymph node biopsy instead of a more extensive axillary lymph node dissection. The goal is to reduce side effects like arm swelling while still effectively treating the cancer.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Breast surgery (sentinel lymph node biopsy)
What this could lead to: If successful, this approach could help many women with early-stage HR+/HER2- breast cancer avoid the more invasive axillary lymph node dissection and its side effects.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage study with only 78 participants. It may not prove that avoiding ALND is safe for all patients, and some may still need the more extensive surgery.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

BREAST CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Hartford Healthcare Cancer Alliance (Data collection only)

Hartford, Connecticut, 06102, United States
Lehigh Valley Health Network (Dara Collection Only)

Allentown, Pennsylvania, 18103, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Consent Only)

Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Consent Only)

Montvale, New Jersey, 07645, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

New York, New York, 10065, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (All Protocol Activities)

Middletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (Consent Only)

Uniondale, New York, 11553, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Suffolk - Commack (Consent Only)

Commack, New York, 11725, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (Consent Only)

Harrison, New York, 10604, United States
University of Michigan (Data Collection Only)

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States

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