Could less surgery be just as effective for breast cancer patients?

NCT ID NCT03513614

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This phase III trial tests whether a less extensive lymph node surgery (tailored axillary surgery) followed by radiotherapy works as well as the standard full lymph node removal in women with breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes. The study involves 1,500 participants and aims to see if the gentler approach can reduce side effects like arm swelling without increasing the risk of cancer coming back. Results are not yet available.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: tailored axillary surgery and radiotherapy
What this could lead to: If successful, this approach could spare many women with breast cancer from the side effects of full lymph node removal, such as arm swelling and pain, while keeping the same cancer control.
What could go wrong: This is a large phase III trial, but results are not yet available. There is a risk that the less extensive surgery may not control the cancer as well as the standard approach, leading to higher recurrence rates.

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

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

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

NODE-POSITIVE BREAST CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Alexandra General Hospital

Athens, 115 28, Greece
Athens Medical Center Iatriko

Marousi, 151 25, Greece
Attikon University Hospital

Chaïdári, Athens, 124 62, Greece
Bacs-Kiskun Country Hospital

Kecskemét, 6000, Hungary
Bethesda Spital Basel, Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe

Basel, 4052, Switzerland
Breast Centre of Clinical Hospital

Rijeka, 51000, Croatia
Breast center Fribourg

Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland
Brust-Zentrum Zürich (Seefeld)

Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
Brustzentrum Basel und Netzwerk

Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland
Brustzentrum Bern, Lindenhofgruppe Centerclinic

Bern, 3011, Switzerland
Brustzentrum Thurgau

Frauenfeld, 8501, Switzerland
CIUSSS du Centre Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Jewish General Hospital

Montreal, 3755, Canada
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois CHUV

Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
Centro di Senologia della Svizzera Italiana CSSI

Lugano, 6970, Switzerland
Clinique de Genolier

Genolier, 1272, Switzerland
Clinique de Grangettes

Chêne-Bougeries, 1224, Switzerland
Duke University/Duke Cancer Center

Durham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" di Roma

Rome, 00168, Italy
Gangnam Severance Hospital

Seoul, 06273, South Korea
HRUHC Sestre milosdrnice

Zagreb, Croatia
HUG - Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève

Geneva, 1205, Switzerland
Hanusch Hospital Vienna

Vienna, 1140, Austria
Helios University Hospital Wuppertal

Wuppertal, 42283, Germany
Hirslanden Klinik St. Anna

Lucerne, 6006, Switzerland
Hôpital Neuchâtelois

La Chaux-de-Fonds, 2300, Switzerland
Hôpital du Valais / Hôpital de Sion

Sion, 1950, Switzerland
Iaso Maternity Hospital

Marousi, 151 23, Greece
Institute of Oncology "Angel H. Roffo

Buenos Aires, C1417, Argentina
KEM | Evang. Kliniken Essen-Mitte gGmbH

Essen, 45136, Germany
Kantonsspital Aarau

Aarau, 5001, Switzerland
Kantonsspital Baden

Baden, 5404, Switzerland
Kantonsspital Graubünden

Chur, 7000, Switzerland
Kantonsspital St. Gallen

Sankt Gallen, 9000, Switzerland
Kantonsspital Winterthur, Brustzentrum

Winterthur, 8401, Switzerland
Klinikum Wels-Grieskrichen GmbH

Wels, 4600, Austria
Krankenhaus Dornbirn

Dornbirn, 6850, Austria
Landeskrankenhaus Feldkirch

Feldkirch, 6800, Austria
Larissa General University Hospital

Larissa, 413 34, Greece
Luzerner Kantonsspital - Brustzentrum

Lucerne, 6000, Switzerland
Medical University of Innsbruck, Department of Gynecology

Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
Medizinische Universität Wien - Klinik für Chirurgie

Vienna, 1090, Austria
Medizinische Universität Wien - Universitätsklinik für Frauenheilkunde

Vienna, 1090, Austria
National Cancer Institut

Vilnius, 08406, Lithuania
National Institute of Oncology

Budapest, 1122, Hungary
Niels-Stensen-Kliniken Franziskus-Hospital Harderberg

Georgsmarienhütte, 49124, Germany
Ordens Kinikum Linz, Barmherzige Schwestern

Linz, 4010, Austria
Ospedale MultiMedica Castellanza

Castellanza, 21053, Italy
Pauls Stradinš Clinical University Hospital

Riga, 1002, Latvia
Samsung Medical Center

Seoul, 06351, South Korea
Sanatorio Parque Breast Cancer Center

Rosario, Santa Fe Province, S2000, Argentina
Spital Limmattal

Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland
Spital Zollikerberg

Zollikerberg, 8125, Switzerland
Stadtspital Triemli

Zurich, 8063, Switzerland
Swedish Cancer Institute

Seattle, Washington, 98104, United States
Tumor-and Breast centre Ostschweiz

Sankt Gallen, 9016, Switzerland
University Hospital of Heraklion

Heraklion, Crete, 71500, Greece
University Hospital of Patras

Pátrai, 265 04, Greece
University of Szeged

Szeged, 6720, Hungary
Universitäts Spital Zürich

Zurich, 8091, Switzerland
Universitätsklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe; Landeskrankenhaus Salzburg der PMU

Salzburg, 5020, Austria
Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Sektion Senologie

Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
Universitätsspital Basel

Basel, 4031, Switzerland
ViDia Christliche Kliniken Karlsruhe, Diakonissenkrankenhaus

Karlsruhe, 76199, Germany
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.