title: Breast cancer in women over 75 years: is axillary dissection always necessary?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study how the information gained from axillary dissection in women (75 years old or more) with breast cancer influenced postoperative adjuvant treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of casenotes.
  
  
  METHODS
  University departments of surgery and oncology, Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  166 women (aged 75 years or more) operated on for primary breast cancer between 1980-1989.
  
  
  METHODS
  Type of operation and postoperative therapy given.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 138/166 (83%) women axillary dissection was done, but in only 21/59 (36%) of these patients did information gained from the procedure influence the postoperative treatment according to the treatment guidelines for breast cancer. None of the 28 patients who did not undergo axillary dissection were subjected to further operations or radiotherapy for axillary nodal recurrence after a mean follow up of 47 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Axillary dissection should be reserved for local control of disease and for those patients who preoperatively agree to undergo postoperative irradiation or chemotherapy if metastases are found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Danderyd Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Näslund
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernstad
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekman
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hjalmar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Askergren
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008408:Mastectomy; D012189:Retrospective Studies