Comparison of 0.4 ml vs 0.6 ml diluted India ink solution for tattooing of axillary lymph nodes in the patient with breast cancer - a randomized controlled trial

The axillary dissection is performed in breast cancer patients with metastatic axillary lymph nodes. This axillary dissection is associated with significant morbidity. The recent studies suggest that probably it can be spared in patients who have responded well to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. In patients where nodes have disappeared targeted axillary dissection (TAD) is emerging as an alternative. Here the axillary dissection is performed only when the pre marked or the sentinel lymph nodes are positive. However, this is not universally accepted and more studies are required before inducting it into the common practice. TAD was successful in 97% of patients. We are therefore planning to find the efficacy of 0.4ml and 0.6ml India ink solution for TAD and to compare the efficacy of two different doses of the agent. To determine the optimum dose of India ink solution for TAD.