Axillary lymph node status is the most relevant prognostic parameter in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and a crucial component to the breast cancer staging system. Established clinical-pathological parameters have been associated with the potential risk of developing lymph node metastasis, and new information is now emerging from genomewide studies, such as gene expression microarray analysis, which has allowed the stratification of patients based on the risk of developing metastasis. However, these parameters are not sufficient; they fail to accurately predict which tumors will disseminate from their primary site, showing their inability to fully reflect the complex molecular biology of breast cancer invasion and metastasis. The continued improvement of molecular tumor profiling in combined bioinformatics from larger and better defined patient cohorts based on lymph node status, will contribute to the clarification of this complex molecular mechanisms, leading to the identification of novel and integrative molecular markers that can reliably predict lymph node involvement. Identification of such markers could influence breast cancer management, allowing for an early axillary lymph node status prediction and a personalized clinical intervention, providing newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with more suitable adjuvant treatments.

We invite authors to submit original research and review articles related to the topics of interest of this special issue. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Clinical history of lymph node: from Halstead radical mastectomy to SLN biopsy analysis
• SLN tracing: dyes, fluorochromes, and radioactive tracers
• Assessment of SLN status: cytology, histopathology, and molecular assays
• Clinical and biological significance of micrometastasis and isolated tumor cells in axillary lymph nodes
• Biological process involving the dissemination of breast tumor cells to the lymph nodes
• The effect of tumor heterogeneity on breast cancer metastasis
• Role of the microenvironment in the dissemination and growth of breast tumor cells in a distant (secondary) site
• Identification of biomarkers and predisposing factors associated with axillary lymph node metastasis
• Comparison of the molecular alterations in primary tumors and lymph node metastasis and its clinical applications (potentials and limitations)
• New targets and clinical therapies for metastatic breast cancer

Articles published in this special issue will not be subject to the journal's Article Processing Charges.

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijbc/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: