[Exploration of the extent of axillary dissection for patients with node positive primary breast cancer].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the frequency of the involvement of level III and interpectoral lymph nodes in patients with node-positive breast cancer, and discuss the necessity of completely axillary dissection in this subgroup of patients.

METHODS

Consecutive 291 cases underwent completely axillary dissections (level I/II/III and interpectoral node) according to identical procedure. Level I/II, Level III and interpectoral lymph nodes were sent separately for routine pathological examination.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven cases (29.9%) were proved to be node-positive. Among them, metastases were detected at level III lymph nodes in 18 cases (20.7%) and at interpectoral lymph nodes in 16 cases (18.3%), respectively. Twenty-five cases involved in level III and/or interpectoral lymph nodes. In a subgroup of 52 cases with primary tumor smaller than 5 cm and involved Level I/II lymph nodes less than 4, 6 cases (11.5%) were found metastases at level III and/or interpectoral lymph nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

It is reasonable to perform completely axillary nodes dissection including level III and interpectoral lymph nodes for patients with node-positive breast cancer.