Abstract: Sentinel lymph node biopsy of breast cancer, which can avoid axillary lymph node dissection and its complications, has become one of the standard surgical methods for patients with early breast cancer. However, in the era of precision medicine, the clinical implementation of sentinel lymph node biopsy has problems such as inaccurate localization and excessive lymph node resection. In response, our research team has established the Qilu Procedure for precise sentinel lymph node biopsy, proposed the concept of fine anatomy of the sentinel lymph node region, and reported the anatomical variation of sentinel lymph nodes and the positional relationship with the upper extremity draining lymph nodes. The results of this study have important implications for the understanding of axillary lymphatic drainage and operation of axillary lymph nodes in patients with early breast cancer.

Key words: Breast cancer, Sentinel lymph node, Lymphatic drainage, Langers axillary arch