[Axillar lymphadenectomy].
Axillary dissection aims at local tumor control and staging. Among breast cancer, malignant melanoma and other solid malignancies, the nodal status is still the most important predictive and prognostic factor. Today, because of its morbidity, axillary lymphadenectomy is indicated only when the sentinel lymph node is involved by metastasis after histopathologic investigation. The surgical technique of axillary dissection is presented, complications and oncologic outcomes are summarised after dissection for breast carcinoma and malignant melanoma, respectively.
Oertli
D
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Departement Chirurgie, Universitätsspital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, 4031 Basel, Schweiz. doertli@uhbs.ch
D001365:Axilla / Q000601:surgery; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis