title: Preservation of the intercostobrachial nerve during axillary dissection for breast cancer.
abstract: Preservation of the intercostobrachial nerve during axillary dissection in 50 patients with stage I breast cancer resulted in a significant improvement in sensory function compared with the standard dissection in which the nerve is routinely sacrificed. No local recurrence was found during the 3 to 5 year follow-up period. This modification is worthwhile in patients with axillas that are clinically negative for cancer.
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000601:surgery; D001132:Arm / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D001365:Axilla / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004210:Dissection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology