Is modified radical mastectomy adequate for axillary lymph node dissection?

The effectiveness of axillary dissection by modified radical mastectomy was assessed by a comparison of the total axillary nodes removed by this operation to that by radical mastectomy. In a series of 121 consecutive radical mastectomies performed during the period of 1964 to 1969, we found that the number of axillary nodes removed ranged from 3 to 63 with a median of 22 and a mean of 23.4 per patient. In a subsequent series of 111 consecutive modified radical mastectomies performed between 1969 and 1973, the total axillary nodes removed ranged from 6 to 77 with a median of 24 and mean of 25.7 nodes in each mastectomy specimen. These results strongly suggest that axillary dissection in modified radical mastectomy is as complete as that in the Halsted radical mastectomy.