Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42551036›Full record

Trial reportBJS open2026

Omission of axillary lymph node dissection in ultrasound-detectable axillary metastases in primary breast cancer treated by upfront surgery: prospective randomized SENOMAC-ULTRA non-inferiority trial.

Jana de Boniface, Tuomo Meretoja, Lisa Rydén, Malin Sund, Per Karlsson, Chiun-Sheng Huang, Hee Jeong Kim, Jai Min Ryu, Stephen Nash, Birgitte Offersen and 20 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled TrialEquivalence TrialMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in BJS open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06869629 (SENOMAC-ULTRA), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06869629 narecruitingnot on this map

SENOMAC-ULTRA: A Prospective Randomised Trial on the Omission of Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in Ultrasound-detectable Axillary Metastases in Primary Breast Cancer Treated by Upfront Surgery

TypeinterventionalSponsorKarolinska InstitutetRan2026 to 2041Enrolled1,380ConditionsBreast Carcinoma, Breast Cancer, Breast SurgeryArmsTargeted axillary dissection, Axillary lymph node dissection
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

30 authors.

Jana de BonifaceDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-9518-0902
Tuomo MeretojaDivision of Breast Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Lisa RydénInstitute of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Surgery, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-7515-3130
Malin SundDivision of Breast Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-7516-9543
Per KarlssonDepartment of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-4841-2672
Chiun-Sheng HuangNational Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hee Jeong KimDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Jai Min RyuDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Stephen NashDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-2086-1740
Birgitte OffersenDepartment of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Henrik Dahl NissenDepartment of Oncology, Vejle Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark.
Elinore WieslanderDepartment of Hematology, Oncology and Radiation Physics, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Nadia MaggiDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Linda SwedinDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Sung-Hsin KuoGraduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Trine TrammDepartment of Pathology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Karin DembrowerDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Kaori TerataDepartment of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
Ikuno NishibuchiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.ORCID 0000-0001-5873-4822
Miguel Ángel Luna TomásDepartment of Gynaecology, Hospital Universitario Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain.
Raquel CiérvideDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Universitario HM Sanchinarro, Madrid, Spain.
Aoife LoweryDiscipline of Surgery, University of Galway and Cancer Trials Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
Helle Kristine SkjervenDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Breast and Endocrine Surgery Department, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Bent EjlertsenDepartment of Oncology, Centre for Cancer and Organ Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-8761-714X
Antonios ValachisDepartment of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-6059-0194
Robert SzulkinDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Tanja SpanicEuropa Donna, ABC Global Alliance, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Tadahiko ShienDepartment of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan.ORCID 0000-0003-3202-5512
Tove Filtenborg TvedskovFaculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sara AlknerDepartment of Hematology, Oncology and Radiation Physics, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.

Funding

Cancer Research Funds of RadiumhemmetNordic Cancer UnionSwedish Breast Cancer AssociationSwedish Cancer Society 24 0892 SCIASwedish Cancer Society 25 4738 PjSwedish Foundation for Strategic Research APR23-0018
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAxillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in breast cancer causes substantial arm morbidity and long-term functional impairment. Less extensive axillary surgery, such as targeted axillary dissection (TAD), significantly reduces this risk. Although omission of ALND is standard in clinically node-negative disease with limited sentinel node involvement, this is not the case for patients with clinically node-positive disease undergoing upfront surgery. The aim of the SENOMAC-ULTRA trial is to evaluate whether TAD can safely replace ALND in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer receiving upfront surgery.

methodsSENOMAC-ULTRA is a prospective, international, multicentre, randomized non-inferiority trial. Adults with stage II-III invasive breast cancer and axillary metastases detectable by ultrasound and confirmed by fine needle aspiration or core biopsy are eligible for inclusion. Participants are randomized 1 : 1 to TAD (removal of marked metastatic nodes plus sentinel lymph node biopsy) or standard ALND. The primary endpoint is recurrence-free survival, assessed for non-inferiority using a Cox proportional hazards model. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, locoregional recurrence, regional nodal recurrence, distant relapse-free survival, invasive breast cancer-free survival, patient-reported arm morbidity, and health-related quality of life, as well as performance measures of axillary ultrasound and marking techniques. A sample size of 1380 patients has been calculated to provide 81% power to exclude a hazard ratio > 1.47 for recurrence-free survival at 5 years, adopting a non-inferiority margin of 4.5%. Follow-up is planned for 10 years. The trial protocol has been approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Dnr 2025-07730-01); each participating country will obtain local ethics approval.

conclusionIt is anticipated that the SENOMAC-ULTRA trial will fill an important knowledge gap guiding the surgical management of patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer. Registration number: NCT06869629 (https://clinicaltrials.gov).

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsLymphatic MetastasisLymph Node ExcisionAdultAxillaDisease-Free SurvivalFemaleHumansLymph NodesMiddle AgedNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalProspective StudiesSentinel Lymph Node BiopsyUltrasonography

Identifiers

PMID42551036
PMCPMC13436812

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.