[Role of axillary assessment and current technical aspects in the surgical treatment of breast cancer].

In case of invasive breast cancer, the pathologic assessment of axillary lymph nodes status gives information on staging, prognosis and on the use of systemic adjuvant therapy. Removing at least ten axillary lymph nodes seems to prevent complications arising from uncontrolled tumor growth in the axilla. An axillary dissection is not justified in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). To assess new techniques of axillary dissection will probably help to decrease the complications of the classical approach with oncological safety. Liposuction and endoscopic biopsies seem to give good results in preliminary studies.