title: Resectable breast cancer: axillary dissection sparing pectoralis muscles and nerves.
abstract: In breast cancer surgery, axillary dissection is currently considered an essential step. Nevertheless, procedures commonly used include the resection of the pectoralis minor muscle and/or pectoralis nerves. Since 1984 we have performed axillary dissection by sparing both the pectoralis muscles and their nerves. In this paper we present the surgical technique. The comparison of the two groups with clinical N0 N1a assessment, the former of 103 patients submitted to this kind of surgical procedure, the latter (108 women) treated by resection of the pectoralis minor muscle, showed that the mean number of dissected lymph nodes in both procedures was superimposable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Instituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muscolino
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sacchini
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Bedini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luini
mesh_terms: D001365:Axilla / Q000601:surgery*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008408:Mastectomy; D008722:Methods; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000601:surgery*