Fig. 5

The decision curve analysis (DCA) for the nomogram in training and validation dataset. The red line represents the pathology-based nomogram. The blue line represents the combined nomogram. The grey line represents the assumption that all patients have axillary non-SLN metastases. The black line represents the assumption that none of patients have axillary non-SLN metastases. This graph gives expected net benefit of breast cancer patients with 1–2 positive sentinel lymph node using different clinical schemes. a and b represent the potential net benefits at different threshold probability in the primary and validation cohorts, respectively