title: [Exploration of the extent of axillary dissection for patients with node positive primary breast cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the frequency of the involvement of level III and interpectoral lymph nodes in patients with node-positive breast cancer, and discuss the necessity of completely axillary dissection in this subgroup of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive 291 cases underwent completely axillary dissections (level I/II/III and interpectoral node) according to identical procedure. Level I/II, Level III and interpectoral lymph nodes were sent separately for routine pathological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-seven cases (29.9%) were proved to be node-positive. Among them, metastases were detected at level III lymph nodes in 18 cases (20.7%) and at interpectoral lymph nodes in 16 cases (18.3%), respectively. Twenty-five cases involved in level III and/or interpectoral lymph nodes. In a subgroup of 52 cases with primary tumor smaller than 5 cm and involved Level I/II lymph nodes less than 4, 6 cases (11.5%) were found metastases at level III and/or interpectoral lymph nodes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is reasonable to perform completely axillary nodes dissection including level III and interpectoral lymph nodes for patients with node-positive breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Breast Cancer Center, Beijing Cancer Hospital, the School of Oncology, Peking University, Beijing 100036, China. ouyanghongtao@263.net
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Jin-feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tian-feng
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ben-yao
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery