title: Partial lower axillary dissection for patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate retrospectively the outcomes of partial lower axillary lymph node dissection caudal to the intercostobrachial nerve in patients with clinically node-negative (N(0)) breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Numbers of dissected and metastatic nodes, overall and disease-free  survival rates, postoperative complication rates, and axillary recurrence were compared between patients who underwent breast cancer surgery with partial axillary node dissection (n = 1043) and historical controls who underwent conventional dissection (n = 1084).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The  5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 95.6% and 89.7%, and 94.9% and 88.4%, respectively, in the partial dissection and conventional dissection groups; the differences were not significant. Mean duration of surgery (41.6 min versus 60.9 min), intraoperative blood loss (28.0 ml  versus 51.3 ml), volume of lymphatic drainage at 2 weeks postoperatively (488 ml versus 836 ml), and persistent arm lymphoedema (0.0% versus 11.8%) were significantly different between the partial and conventional dissection groups, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Partial axillary lymph node dissection  was associated with similar survival rates (but lower postoperative complication rates) compared with conventional axillary dissection and is recommended in patients with N(0) breast cancer.
authors: Kodama Breast Clinic, Kyoto, Japan. kodama@kbc-hakubai.jp
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kodama
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Mise
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Kan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000009:adverse effects; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome