Table 1.

Features of included studies: design, patients, and tumor characteristics.

Author (year)	Center	Design	Origin	T/N stage before NACT		Method of pre-NAC node status assessment
				T stage	N stage
[25]	Single	Prospective	USA	T1–T4	N1–N3	FNA
[26]	Single	Retrospective	Turkey	T0–T4	N1–N2	NR
[27]	Multiple	Prospective	Canada	T0–T3	N1–N2	FNA or CNB
[16]	Multiple	Prospective	USA	T0–T4	N1–N2	FNA or CNB
[28]	Single	Retrospective	USA	T1–T3	N1–N3	FNA
[29]	Single	Prospective	Italy	T2–T4	N1–N3	Palpation & Ultrasound
[30]	Single	Retrospective	India	T1–T4	N1–N2	MRI & Ultrasound
[31]	Single	Prospective	Korea	T1–T4	N1–N3	FNA
[5]	Single	Prospective	France	T1–T4	N1–N2	FNA
[32]	Multiple	Prospective	Japan	T1–T3	N1	FNA
[33]	Single	Retrospective	China	T1–T4	N1–N3	FNA
[34]	Single	Prospective	Korea	T1–T4	N+	NR
[9]	Single	Retrospective	Korea	T0–T3	N+	FNA
[10]	Multiple	Prospective	Germany	T1–T4	N1–N2	Palpation & Ultrasound
[36]	Single	Prospective	Korea	T1–T4	N+	FNA
[35]	Single	Prospective	Korea	NR	N1–N3	PET/CT & Ultrasound
[11]	Single	Retrospective	USA	T1–T4	N+	FNA
[37]	Single	Retrospective	Turkey	T1–T4	N1–N2	FNA
[39]	Single	Retrospective	Korea	T1–T3	N+	FNA
[38]	Single	Retrospective	Korea	T1–T4	N1–N3	FNA
[40]	Single	Prospective	USA	T1–T4	N1–N3	FNA
[41]	Single	Retrospective	Japan	T1–T4	N1–N3	FNA
[42]	Single	Prospective	India	T2–T4	N+	FNA
[43]	Single	Prospective	China	T1–T3	N1	FNA
[44]	Single	Prospective	Japan	T0–T4	N+	FNA
[45]	Single	Prospective	China	NR	N+	FNA
[47]	Multiple	Prospective	Sweden	T1–T4	N+	FNA

Abbreviations: NACT, neoadjuvant chemotherapy; NR, not reported; FNA, fine needle aspiration; CNB, core needle biopsy; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PET/CT, positron emission tomography/computed tomography.